PCMC to appoint squads to prevent illegal tree felling

The squads will keep vigilance over illegal tree cutting and trimming by individuals and organisations. It will prevent incidents of illegal tree felling. In case of incidents of illegal tree chopping, the squads will file police complaints against the accused, said official

Following a spike in tree felling incidents in general and the Bhosari incident in particular wherein a private company cut down eight, fully-grown trees without the tree authority’s permission, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has decided to appoint four squads to prevent/punish incidents of unauthorised tree felling.

Pradeep Jambhale-Patil, additional commissioner, PCMC, said that four squads will be appointed for eight zones of PCMC. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Pradeep Jambhale-Patil, additional commissioner, PCMC, said that four squads will be appointed for eight zones of PCMC.

“The squads will keep vigilance over illegal tree cutting and trimming by individuals and organisations. The squads will prevent incidents of illegal tree felling. In case of incidents of illegal tree chopping, the squads will file police complaints against the accused as per the provisions of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975,” he said.

Jambhale-Patil said the garden department of PCMC has been asked to deploy the squads at the earliest. “We are also thinking of starting a helpline to register complaints of illegal tree felling. Citizens should take the protection of trees seriously,” he said.

According to PCMC officials, as many as eight, fully-grown trees were chopped at Bhosari on August 16. While the private company had taken permission only to trim the branches of trees near Sant Tukaramnagar metro station, it ended up chopping eight whole trees. Apart from this, there have been frequent reports of trees being razed across the city for purposes ranging from construction to accommodation of advertisement boards etc.