AHMEDABAD: If
Gujarat
forest department data is to be believed, only 16 trees were illegally cut in all of Ahmedabad district in 2020-21 (April-March), while 213 trees were chopped down without permission in
Gandhinagar district.
According to the latest state forest department survey, Ahmedabad district is estimated to have 66.10 lakh trees while Gandhinagar has 138.51 lakh trees.
“In rural and urban areas, local bodies are given the authority to issue permission for tree felling. These bodies, such as nagarpalikas and municipal corporations, are also authorised to take action against people for illegal tree felling,” said a forest department official. The official said that under-reporting is likely as the forest department receives data from civic bodies.
According to forest department data, in 2020-21 a total 3,859 trees were cut illegally in the state, 51.5% of which or 1,990, were reduced to stumps in Vadodara district alone. Surat and
Valsad were in at second and third place with 726 and 626 illegally felled trees, respectively.
The data shows that of the 3,859 cases, as many as 407 culprits escaped while in detention of forest department teams and legal prosecution has been initiated against only four. The official said the accused are charged under the Saurashtra Felling of Trees (Infliction of Punishment) Act, 1951.
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