E-Paper
With just 1.47% area under forest cover, Ludhiana is choking
As per the latest Forest Survey of India (FSI) report, of Ludhiana’s overall area of 3,578 square kilometres (sq km), forests covered only 52.72 sq km in 2021, a sharp dip from 58.92 sq km in 2019
With just 1.47% of its total geographical area under forest cover, Ludhiana district is choking amid the rising pollution levels in the industrial hub.
As per the latest Forest Survey of India (FSI) report, of Ludhiana’s overall area of 3,578 square kilometres (sq km), forests covered only 52.72 sq km in 2021, a sharp dip from 58.92 sq km in 2019. The report states that there has been a major decline in area under moderate dense forest from 25.18 sq km in 2019 to 22.86 sq km in 2021. As per the FSI’s 2017 and 2015 reports, the area under moderate dense forest was 26 sq km and 33 sq km, respectively.
The area under open forest, too, fell from 33.74 sq km to 29.86 sq km. In 2017 and 2015 reports, the area under open forest was 29 sq km and 35 sq km, respectively. As per the report, there is no very dense forest. While initiating a tree plantation drive on the occasion of World Environment Day on Sunday, Ludhiana deputy commissioner (DC) Surabhi Malik expressed concern over the shrinking green cover. She said that active public participation is necessary to tackle this crisis.
Divisional forest officer Harbhajan Singh said that as per the last survey, there are 7.23 lakh trees registered under the forest department. This excludes the tree cover under mandi board, municipal corporation, councils and plantation on private land.
As per the administration’s record, the district has a population of around 35 lakh, but it sadly does not have half the number of trees.
The efforts of the city’s green activists, who had in 2016 raised a major hue and cry over the axing of around 3,000 trees to clear the deck for the Ferozepur Road-Samrala Chowk elevated road project, have gone in vain as all the 600 transplanted trees now lie withered and dead in what can be termed a result of the callous attitude of the forest department and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).
The axing of the trees had become a major issue and a city-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) had moved National Green Tribunal (NGT) and requested that the project be put on hold. It was initially decided that 2,000 trees will be relocated, which was brought down to 1,122. However, due to high transplantation cost — ₹35,000 per tree — another revision was made. In the final assessment, it was decided to transplant only 675 trees, each at a cost of ₹10,000, revealed sources in the department.
It was in 2018 that the district administration had planted 5,17,550 saplings in 941 gram panchayats of the district to commemorate the 550th Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev under Mission Tandarust Punjab. But, most of the trees were uprooted soon, said environmentalist Kuldeep Khaira.
“As many as 550 saplings were planted in each gram panchayat and many saplings were also eaten by animals and a lot of trees died due to lack of care,” he added.
Khaira, along with many other green activists under the banner of Public Action Committee on Satluj and Mattewara, are opposing the setting up a textile park near the Sutlej river.
He said that setting up of a textile and dyeing unit will cause irreparable devastation and completely ruin the biodiversity of Mattewara forest.
