Published On : Thu, Jan 30th, 2025
By Nagpur Today Nagpur News

Outrage: Daylight tree massacre, armed men chop down 550 trees in Nagpur

Green cover vanishes in city as 400 Ashoka, 150 Palm trees destroyed brazenly

Nagpur: In a shocking incident, four armed individuals brazenly chopped down 550 trees in broad daylight on Wardha Road on Wednesday. The trees, planted four years ago along the road divider, were reduced to stumps as passersby watched, assuming the cutting was authorized by the authorities.

Eyewitnesses reported that the four men, equipped with axes and machetes, arrived at the site and spent the entire day felling the trees. The illegal activity came to light only when the Public Works Department (PWD) was alerted, triggering chaos within the department. Upon reaching the spot to verify the situation, PWD officials discovered the large-scale destruction, but by then, the culprits had fled.

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400 Ashoka, 150 Palm trees destroyed

According to PWD sources, a total of 400 Ashoka trees and 150 Bismarckia palm trees were cut down along the two-kilometre stretch between Khamla Chowk and Raje Sambhaji Chowk. These trees were part of a ₹6 crore project under the World Bank-funded PWD initiative in 2021, aimed at enhancing greenery along the 30-kilometer stretch of the road divider.

The responsibility for the plantation and maintenance of these trees lies with the PWD’s World Bank Project Division, headquartered in Civil Lines, Nagpur. The felling of trees on such a massive scale has raised serious concerns, as the project was reportedly a key initiative backed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Public apathy as green cover vanishes

Despite the public witnessing the destruction, there was little intervention, as many assumed that the tree-cutting had official approval. “We thought it was a planned operation by the authorities, but later we realized that it was an unauthorized act,” said a local resident.

The incident also raises concerns about the city’s commitment to afforestation. A city-wide plantation drive had been initiated in the past, with then-Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari planting a symbolic Neem sapling at Ashok Chowk. However, today, construction is underway at the same site, and the sapling is nowhere to be found. Similar concerns exist regarding saplings planted in open grounds, which have also disappeared.

PWD to file complaint, investigation underway

PWD officials have stated that they will lodge a formal complaint against unidentified persons responsible for the tree felling. Deputy Engineer Ashish Kurve confirmed that the trees were planted four years ago using funds from the Central Road Fund (CRF) and had been maintained by the PWD ever since.

“The Bismarckia palms had grown up to 10 feet, while the Ashoka trees had reached 15 feet. This destruction is a major loss to the city’s green cover,” Kurve said.

Officials suspect that another government agency might be behind the operation, as it would be nearly impossible for ordinary individuals to cut down trees so openly on a busy road during the daytime without drawing attention. Meanwhile, Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) Garden Superintendent Amol Chaurpagar stated that an NMC team will visit the site on Thursday to conduct a panchnama and assess the exact number of trees felled.

The incident has sparked outrage among environmentalists and citizens, with many questioning the lack of security and surveillance over public plantations.

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