Madhya Pradesh: Trees Cut In Bhoj Wetland, Forest Department Orders Probe

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): An incident of tree-cutting in Bhoj wetland area in Bhopal on intervening night of Friday-Saturday has come to the fore. Green activists have complained to collector and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO). Trees were cut in Nathu Bharkheda village, which comes under Bhoj wetland project.

Green activist Rashid Noor Khan said, “We have complained to collector on the basis of video. Babul saplings were planted in large number in this area years ago. Trees, which have been cut, seem quite old. If this is so, it will damage the objective of Bhoj wetland.”

DFO Prakash Bharati said, “We have ordered probe in this matter following video showing cutting trees in large numbers. My team is working in the matter. However, complaints have also been lodged with forest department as well as collector.”

As per complaint, that the land from where the trees have been illegally felled and its adjoining plots are full of trees and look like a forest. The Google earth image and other photographs clearly show that the entire area is as good as forest qualifying the meaning of forest.

The complainants said that whole area would become barren if no stringent action would be taken against the accused people. According to NGT, land is a state subject and the state government /UT administration have regulated felling of trees on non-forest land through various laws and rules.