No one penalised for cutting trees in last 3 years

PUNE: Only 30 cases of tree-felling have been reported to the municipal court in the last three years and not a single accused has been punished so far.
The issue assumes significance after observations made by activists who say illegal cutting could have picked up following the Bombay High Court's order in 2009 which makes it mandatory for the Pune municipal corporation to seek the court's permission before allowing tree cutting in the city limits.
Besides, the Tree Act makes it mandatory for the Tree Authority of the PMC to take the accused to the court for felling trees without permission. The court may punish the offender with fine and jail (see box). This also means that the PMC cannot collect fine on its own.
Bhanudas Mane, zonal commissioner and garden superintendent, said the PMC sends notices to offenders and files cases in the court depending on the explanation submitted by them.
When asked why very few cases were registered when the actual figure of offences could be much higher, Mane put the blame on lack of alertness on part of citizens.
"If people are alert and they inform us (about illegal tree felling) immediately about any such activity, we can reach the spot and nab the culprits. But we are often informed late. In such cases, we cannot even send notices. But often, it is just a few branches of trees that are cut by ignorant citizens. As a result, they end up making rounds of the court."
Mane said he does not remember of any case when an offender was put behind the bars for chopping a tree.
Tree Authority member Gajanan Tharkude, however, accused civic officials of failing to show diligence in nabbing the culprits. "Recently, I brought to their notice that 112 trees were cut illegally in Koregaon Park. The tree officials just had to register a case against the plot owner. It has been a fortnight now and nothing has happened. In other cases, they just issue notices to the offenders. It is obvious that no one will reply to a notice admitting his crime. It is for the tree officers to take stern action," Tharkude said.
Manjusha Idhate, PMC's senior legal advisor, said, "We cannot say how much time it will take for the court to give its verdict. Sometimes, the case is called for hearing and the respondents' advocate is not present. At times the witnesses do not turn up or on other occasions summons do not reach the accused," Idhate said.
Sachin Desai, a citizen, who was a witness to one illegal tree felling case in July last year has been waiting for the offender to be punished. "The court is yet to take up the case for hearing because the respondent has not been issued the summons," Desai said.
Tree activist Vinod Jain said that separate courts should be set up for taking up tree felling cases. “Everyone is talking about environmental degradation. But what is being done to stop people from felling trees. Nobody in Pune is scared to cut trees. If a separate court is formed, the guilty will be punished. This is one of the points raised by us in our petition to the High Court,” Jain said.