Hyderabad: For the umpteenth time in the past two months, another set of trees were being chopped down in Shamshabad on Thursday morning. A truck arrived with labour in tow and began chopping down peepal trees outside the CISF complex in the area. When questioned by bystanders, the team said they had the necessary permissions to carry on as part of road construction works in the area.
However, when people noticed no signs of arrangement for the trees to be translocated, they raised alarm.
"The said trees, peepal, are protected under the WALTA Act 2005, which direct the translocation of trees being chopped. I was shocked to learn that it wasn't happening," said Pritam Raj, one of the activists.
Uday Krishna, another activists who witnessed what he called 'green murder' in broad daylight, immediately alerted authorities. "The forest official was quick to act on the issue and order to stop the felling immediately and assured the translocation of the trees already cut," he said. These are some very valuable, beautiful, almost 15-year-old trees that contribute immensely. Despite their protection, they were being cut. I hope the authorities will levy heavy penalties so that they don’t repeat the same offence," he said, while another wondered if paying fines of a few thousands for the offence committed against chopping of trees has become much easier than getting required permissions to do it, and by then, the damage is already done.
The news comes at a time when investigations into the chopping of a total of 78 peltophorum trees along the Hitec City-KPHB route, is on. Two other separate incidents of tree felling near the Secunderabad Railway station and have all drawn the ire or green warriors who now have become watchdogs of the crime, bringing people to task.
