Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of State Information Commission (SIC) has taken a serious note of lack of transparency in matters of tree felling, planting and compensatory plantation by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). The SIC has directed NMC to put entire details about permission granted for felling of trees, plantation done and replantation of uprooted trees, on its official website without any delay.
Rahul Pande, State Information Commissioner, has also asked the NMC’s Garden Department to suo motu disclose all details about applications made for chopping of branches, cutting of trees by individuals and project proponents along with date of applications and decision taken including grant of permission or rejection.
Pande also directed NMC to provide details of complaints lodged with the police authorities for illegal tree felling and status of such cases including registration of FIRs and action taken thereafter. The SIC while hearing a second appeal filed by a senior resident of Ram Nagar area Pramod Joshi, found to its dismay complete lack of accountability about permissions granted or rejected for cutting of trees forcing citizens to run from pillar to post to get the permission.
According to provisions of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Preservation of Trees Act, 1975, the Tree officer of NMC has been empowered to take decision on felling of trees, plantation and compensatory plantation as per sections 8-10 of the Act. The timeframe has been prescribed but seldom adhered to leading to large number of pending applications and complaints.
According to Joshi, the NMC authorities are sitting over genuine applications while turning a Nelson’s eye towards an illegal tree racket run by some contractors with the blessings of civic body employees. As a result, the large-scale tree felling is noticed across the city leading to reduced green cover, but individual house owners are penalised due to inordinate delay in granting permission to chopping of a branch posing obstruction to households.
Garden Superintendent Amol Chaurpagar informed the SIC that NMC has already undertaken a tree census which will provide authentic data about green cover of the second capital of Maharashtra. The NMC officials also promised to put available data on the official website. “This will provide all details about trees and green cover along with trees planted by each individual and project proponents which can be verified by public spirited citizens and such a public audit is necessary,” the SIC stated in its decision. Often absence of any credible details leads to trading of charges between activists and authorities.
