144 trees to get the chop

Conservationist object to defence's decision to cut trees in their area

Environmentalists in the city are livid. The Defence Property Establishment has issued a notice declaring its intention to cut 144 trees in the Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB) area. The notice appeared in a regional paper in the city on July 23. According to the notice, an auction will be organised for cutting trees in the defence land on July 30. The places will be shown to those who take part in the auction, the notice said.

"How can the Defence officials issue a notice without a consensus from the public," asked O M Vahikar and V R Jain who works for Save the Tree movement. "It is sad that such a large number of trees will be cut in the KCB area," they said.

Both Vahikar and Jain has objected to the notice and said it would lead to ecological imbalance in the area.

There may be many bird nests with their eggs and hatchlings. Tree-cutting will kill them," Vahikar said.

Meanwhile, D T Aaroykynathan, Officer, Defence Property Office, said the decision to cut the trees was taken by senior officers. "We are cutting the trees to erect a defense construction on that place," he said.

Vilas Khandode, Superintendent, Health and Garden Department, KCB, said that the land in question was military's private property and their laws were based on the Cantonment Act. "Their procedures are different than those followed by the civilian society. The directives are issued by the Central Government and from the Southern Command of the Defence," he said.u00a0