Uttarakhand: Probe ordered into felling of nearly 100 trees in Nainital forests

The Uttarakhand forest department has also suspended a forest guard with immediate effect over the felling of nearly 100 trees in Nainital forests

The Uttarakhand forest department has ordered an inquiry into the felling of nearly 100 trees in Nainital forests, officials said on Tuesday.

The Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation was mandated to cut the Eucalyptus trees, but under the tree felling exercise, timber smugglers also fell nearly 100 trees. (Representative Image)

“Nearly 100 Eucalyptus trees were cut in forests of Jwala forests under Ramnagar range,” said Prakash Chandra Arya, divisional forest officer (DFO), Terai West forest division.

Arya said that the Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UAFDC) was mandated to cut the Eucalyptus trees, but under the tree felling exercise, timber smugglers also fell nearly 100 trees. “I have ordered an inquiry into this matter. Pradeep Dhaulakhandi, sub-divisional officer, Terai West, has been appointed as the inquiry officer. I have directed him to submit his investigation report within two weeks,” he said.

The Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation (UAFDC) is a statutory body constituted by the state government, formed for better preservation, supervision and development of forests and also for better exploitation of forest produce.

Arya said when the matter came to light, he confirmed the tree felling. “After confirming the incident, I attached local forester Dayal Ram to my office and suspended the forest guard Yashpal Rathor with immediate effect”.

In another matter of alleged tree felling in Nainital district, last month National Green Tribunal principal bench, New Delhi, directed the Nainital divisional forest officer to file affidavit listing the present status with respect to all incidents of illegal felling of trees in Nainital.

One Vivek Verma of Nainital had sent a letter petition to NGT last year, which was treated and registered as a petition. The letter petition complained about the unauthorised cutting of trees in forest area adjacent to Nainital city during the last few years. The petition alleged that some of the trees belonged to endangered species.

NGT, New Delhi bench, in October last year had also taken suo motu cognizance of a media report on the illegal felling of over 6,000 trees in Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) and had constituted a committee to identify the violators and recommend steps for the restoration of the environment there. In October last year, HT had reported that over 6,000 trees were felled for the proposed Pakhro tiger safari project in CTR over an area of 16.21 hectares, according to the report of the Forest Survey of India (FSI).