Panvel (Maharashtra): Matheran is a Hill Station in Raigad district and is full of forests. 80,000 trees have been cut from these forests and although it is compulsory, the Forest Department has not yet registered a case with the police even after 28 days. (Social Afforestation and Forest Departments of the Government joined hands with Andha-shraddha Nirmulan Samiti [ANS] to appeal to people against celebrating Holi festival in traditional manner by burning wooden logs. If the Forest Department was so much concerned about cutting of trees, it should have taken the trouble of registering a case with the police; but it has not done so despite so many trees were cut about a month ago. One can smell that there is something fishy in the whole matter – Editor).
Some of the trees from this forest have been cut in a very brutal manner. The thieves have adopted a method of filling some poisonous chemical in the grooves carved on some of the trees so that the tree dies and then it is cut. There were 13 such trees found in the forest. (No fool will believe that the Forest Department did not get the wind of thousands of trees being cut in such stealthy manner. It shows that the Forest Department is deliberately ignoring the incident and not filing a case even after a month. Hindus should punish such corrupt forest officers who oppose Hindus to celebrate ‘Holi’ as per the custom on one hand and are hand in gloves with the thieves – Editor).
In forests of Raigad, there is problem of conflagration and coal is obtained from such forest fire which is known to the Forest Department. (Will Forest Dept. take steps even to prevent corrupt practice of burning trees, besides opposing cutting trees for celebrating ‘Holi’? as it will be of help to human kind – Editor)
It is necessary that at least 33% of the land should be afforested but presently, only 20 % land has forests. The experts have advised that it is imperative to increase afforestation. Forest Department undertakes various schemes for the same. The Social Afforestation and Forest Departments have never submitted any report on how many schemes have the Departments undertaken so far in Raigad district and what is the effect of the schemes on afforestation. Social activists from the field of environmental science or organizations and journalists have asked for the details from both the departments; but they have never made available any report on the same. (Surendra Vadhai, the Asst. Director of Social Afforestation Department is all set to educate people on saving trees and avoid cutting trees even for celebration of ‘Holi’; but how can such corrupt Department appeal to people against cutting of trees? – Editor).
Localites are therefore, asking the Dept. if they would first become ‘eco friendly’ for conservation of ecology before making appeal to others against cutting of trees for ‘Holi’ celebrations
Source: ‘Daily Sanatan Prabhat’
