The situation for the residents of Ahmedabad City is gradually getting worse as the number of trees is rapidly decreasing and more illegal tree-cutting cases are being reported. According to statistics from the municipal civic authority 400 trees in the city had been illegally cut down over the past seven years. 100 illicit cutting down instances, setting a record, in 2021–22.
According to sources within the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Ahmedabad City’s tree cover is a pitiful 4.66%, while urban centres should ideally have 15% tree cover. According to the “State of Forests Report 2021” by the Forest Survey of India, the city’s forest cover has decreased by 48% from 17.86 sq km ten years ago to 9.41 sq km.
The parks and gardens department of the AMC, which has launched a campaign to plant 2 lakh saplings in the city this monsoon, has started to take strict action against offenders. According to sources, those who cut down a tree are fined Rs 27,000. This sum comprises Rs 1,000 for environmental damage, Rs 1,000 for administrative costs, and Rs 2,500 for each tree for the planting of 10 plants as compensation for the act.
Trees can be moved if they are blocking work, according to AMC officials. The city authority permitted the contractor to remove 13 trees from the Naranpura Sports Complex while moving and replanting another 13 trees. To preserve 11 trees, certain design alterations were also implemented.
As per the officials, offenders must promise to plant 10 trees to make up for each tree that was illegally cut down. He spoke, “If someone is proven to have illegally cut down a tree, we will take severe punishment. We are also aiming to raise awareness about the value of green space in the city.”
Also Read: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation To Spend Rs 20 Crore To Plant 21 Lakh Trees
