The issue of cutting down various grown trees in the city is being raised by several environment lovers on Twitter. The Divisional Forest Department of Gautam Budh Nagar wrote to the Noida Authority on May 31 asking them not to chop down trees but to transplant them.
They further highlighted various issues like the pollution level of the city, which is usually high and for which maximum trees should be transplanted rather than cut down.
Vikrant Tongad, a city-based environmentalist said, “There should be a stop to all those who are cutting down the trees for several projects, it's not one but many such projects are going on in which trees have either been felled or chopped off. They should be using the scientific method of transplantation rather than cutting these fully grown trees.”
Sudesh Kumar Yadav, an environmentalist, Senior Social Activist & General Secretary (Pathik Vichar Kendra, Uttar Pradesh) said, “We did agitate on digital (social media) platforms for many years and demanded Parthala flyover due to heavy jams there for years, but never asked to cut trees at its cost. Environmental damage will not be tolerated!”
On Parthala Chowk near Noida, hundreds of trees on the central verge and roadside were cut overnight. National Green Tribunal, Central Pollution Control Board, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, have strictly legally banned the felling of trees.
Therefore, all the concerned departments and the responsible organisations are requested to take proper legal action against the responsible firm and save thousands of lives, which can be done through transplantation.
A resolution was passed by the government that if the tree becomes an obstacle in any development plan including road, fly bridge, electricity, building construction, then it will not be cut but will be shifted by a scientific method, to promote the environment and to help keep it safe.
This decision was also taken as there is a less green area than the prescribed green area in the state. There are many other schemes, in the construction of which if trees become a hindrance, then they will be shifted instead of being cut.
What is the process of transfer?
If the trees become a hindrance in the development plans, then the application will be given to the forest estate-lively the concerned contractor or company to get those trees transferred. After obtaining its approval from the state-level office by the department, its no-objection certificate will be handed over to the company concerned and the company will select the tree transplanting organisation and transplant the tree through it.
How much does a tree transfer cost?
According to the Forest Department, there are many institutions at the national level for this, which do the work of transplanting trees. Four to six thousand rupees are spent on transplanting a tree. This will be borne by the concerned company or contractor. It takes a month to transplant a tree.
Nisha Rai, Secretary NOFAA said, “Concern is that trees are not relocated by professionally trained horticulture contractors but it’s simply done by contract labours having no knowledge of relocation of trees. 1,600 trees are still there while 200 are mercilessly chopped off.”
