Seechewal opposes pruning of trees in Sultanpur Lodhi

Seechewal said they had planted the trees along the banks of Kali Bein around 16 years ago but the forest department has been mercilessly pruning them

Environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal called on people to oppose the district administration’s move of pruning trees along the Kali Bein rivulet in Sultanpur Lodhi during a Facebook live session on Monday.

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Seechewal said they had planted the trees along the banks of Kali Bein around 16 years ago but the forest department has been mercilessly pruning them.

“The Punjab government had started the project of planting 550 saplings in the every villages on the account of Guru Nanak’s 550th anniversary. This is totally against the concept given by Guru Nanak,” he said.

Seechewal, who is member of National Green Tribunal monitoring panel for river pollution, said the forest department, which never came forward to take care of the trees, was now axing them without any specific reason.

The forest department maintained that the pruning was done as they received orders from the district authorities due to security reasons pertaining to the visit of the President and Prime Minister. Meanwhile, the district administration claimed that no trees have been axed and if anyone does so action will taken against them.