Yettinahole: Trees not felled in excess?

Hassan: Acting on the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a three-member team of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, regional office in Bengaluru, led by Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Avinash assessed the number of trees axed for the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project in Sakleshpur, Hassan, on Monday.

The team took note of trees brought down for the construction of weirs at Aluvalli, Heggade, Kumbaddi, Devihalli and other areas and was informed by  forest officials that there was no excessive felling for the project. "Tree felling was allowed only  after proper inspection," they said.

The forest department's permission to KNNL to remove as many as 5,000 trees for the project in Sakleshpur has been challenged by petitioner,  Somashekar before the NGT , claiming that more trees than necessary had been felled. The NGT then asked for a report from the MoEF on the number of trees felled for the project based on a  spot inspection.

"If MoEF tallies the number of trees on an acre in areas adjoining the project area, it would get a clear picture of how many have been felled in the project area," said a forest official.  

Mr Somashekar, for his part, contended that all evidence of trees felled in the project area had been bulldozed." It seems like it is difficult for the MoEF team to arrive at the exact number of trees felled in a particular place," he added.

A field inspection report will be submitted by the MoEF team to the Centre before January 14. Meanwhile, the NGT has granted a stay on tree felling in the project area. The MoEF team will visit Kadumane, Magadi and other areas during their field inspection.