Forest dept names former Gzb mayor in tree-felling case
GHAZIABAD: The officials of the divisional forest department said on Monday that they have registered a case against former city mayor Ashu Verma and his gardener under the provisions of the Tree Protection Act, 1976 for chopping down four fullgrown Alstonia trees without permission.
The trees were growing in front of a vacant house next to Verma’s in Sector 9, Raj Nagar. According to the forest department, it is an offence to fell fullgrown trees without its approval.
Officials of the department said that the felling took place on September 30 and came to light on October 1 after environmentalists visited the spot upon information and complained to the forest department.
“We registered a case under provisions of the Tree Protection Act, and it figures the names of Ashu Verma and his gardener. The trees which were found chopped down at the site are estimated to be about 15 years old and we could find only a few feet of their main trunks at the spot. The provisions of the Act stipulate financial penalty, and its quantum will be decided later upon investigation,” said Ashok Gupta, officiating forest ranger.
“For now, we have seized the logs of wood which our team found at the spot,” he added.
Verma, however, denied his involvement and said that he cannot be held responsible for what happened outside his neighbour’s house.
The former mayor, on October 1, had said that his neighbour’s house was empty and sealed.
“I have no involvement with what happens outside my neighbour’s house. I am a political person and often have to travel outside the city for different works. In fact, I got about 200 trees planted this monsoon season and many of them were procured from the forest department,” Verma said.
“I will meet the forest department officials since they have held me responsible for the incident... they must prove it with evidence,” he added.
Environmentalist Akash Vashishtha, a lawyer and resident of Raj Nagar, had visited the spot on October 1 upon information and briefed the forest department.
“The office of the forest department is about a kilometre away from the site and they had no information. Now, after having registered a case, the officials must investigate and act in accordance with the law. The city’s forest cover has hardly shown improvement and the city also suffers from high levels of air pollution, so it is imperative that people should save and protect trees,” Vashishtha said.