Official axe is being wielded on trees

[suchandra 1]

Iskcon Mandir did NOT protest only some students.

 

Gaurav path? Officials barking up the wrong tree, say residents

VALLABH VIDYANAGAR Wednesday, May 03, 2006: 30 trees have been axed to widen the road; they were obstacles on road, says Collector

 

Palak Nandi

 

Ahmedabad, May 2: IT is one of Gujarat’s few townships that can boast of its green cover. But that may soon be a thing of past for Vallabh Vidhyanagar — for seeking to develop a stretch of the road here as ‘gaurav path,’ the official axe is being wielded on trees.

It was in August last year that the Gujarat Government decided to develop the road between Iskcon Mandir and University Circle as gaurav path. Since then, the axe has fallen on trees — by February, almost 30 full-grown trees were felled and the branches of another 60 trees ‘‘trimmed’’ — in order to widen the road.

‘‘When we approached Anand Collectorate officials, we were told that they would ensure that no trees were cut. But the promise has not been kept. Further, in the name of beautification, authorities have pruned branches on the side that falls on the road,’’ said Dhaval Patel of Vidyanagar Nature Club. He added that none of the trees were ‘‘in the middle of the road or causing traffic hurdles.’’

Patel alleges that the branches are being cut in such a way that ‘‘there’s minimal chance of them growing again.’’ Volunteers and supporters of the club — a large number of them students — also participated in a rally in December to protest against the axing of trees, but that failed to draw a response.

Shishir Vaghela, a Second Year student at BVM Engineering College, said that in two months branches of more than 20 trees have been cut. ‘‘There are a number of colleges in this area and students have to walk in the heat. What’s worse is that the Government talks about increasing the green cover, but goes on a tree-cutting drive,’’ he added.

It is estimated that this patch alone had more than 100 trees — most of them copper pod, neem and a few rare ones like red kaishya. The number of standing trees is now down to 70, of which 60 have been ‘‘ruthlessly trimmed.’’

Volunteers are worried that if this continues, Vidynagar will soon lose its title of ‘‘lungs of Anand district.’’

Maintaining that he was not quite aware of the issue, Anand Collector D G Jhalawadia said the decision to cut a few trees was taken as they were obstacles on the road. ‘‘But I am not quite aware about the issue as of date and will look into it,’’ he added.