the other side of "Development"?

When an ordinary citizen seeing the plight of the Environment and steps in to stop unnecessary felling of trees,what ensues is a losing battle as the Police called to investigate the matter by dialing the number “100” respond with the lament,”Ok,we will take you to the “Thana” alongwith the Horticulture officials,and baki baat vahin karengey!”

Here is the sound of reason, why doesn’t the police investigate vital issues relating to civil responsibility and accountability. Firstly, when any felling of trees in public periphery is to take place,a designated official,namely JE (Junior Enigineer ) or SE (Senior Engineer) is mandatorily to be present at the event of this “Felling”.

Secondly,when inquired by a concerned citizen,witness to this seemingly unnecessary & irresponsible felling of Green & Healthy trees,the response mitigated by the workers of the horticulture department was stifling in its irregularity & callousness, “We have full documentation and permission to cut trees numbered 16 to 21.” When queried as to why the tree number “5” was being cut,the response was that the senior officers had a register which kept a different numbering of the trees,which matched the numbers they needed to cut,namely 16 to 21.

Thirdly,the documentation that was shown was lacking in its authenticity as it didn’t have a duly signed & stamped  Letterhead of the ADVISER to the UT Administration,Pradip Mehra.Instead it was a poor photocopy showing a half a dozen signatures which besides being illegible were simply too misleading to be considered verifiable.

Fourthly,the very fact that such an activity where the trees were being cut for laying of underground pipes in wake of the New Underground Parking in Sector 17,whereas the same could have been avoided by laying the pipes beneath the adjoining tar-road.The sensibility of chopping half a dozen green and healthy trees which took a decade or longer to grow,only because the Development & modernity that we are so desperately chasing,

lacks a basic provision of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT,is disheartening!

Chandigarh is the only city in India where there are two legislations for the protection and preservation for trees.The Punjab Government notified The Tree Preservation Order,1952,under which ,in case of any public utility service,including railway,road transport,water transport,disposal of water or supply of electricity or water,only the Finance Secretary is authorized to allow the felling of trees.

To give more teeth to the government,the Government of Punjab,in exercise of powers under Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act,1927,made a promulgation declaring almost the entire area of capital project as reserve forest.In 1989 when the new forest act came into being it was provided that any area which is a Reserve Forest will continue to be a Reserve Forest until the de notification was authorized by the Union Government.If with double legislations we are still a city struggling to retain our mature growth trees (planted more than 20 years ago),where widening of roads,building of car parks and building yet another Shopping Mall are a constant cause of tree felling,I shudder to think ,where would the city be without such checks in the legislation.

An account of this interaction can also be viewed at my friend Gaurav's page.