The Bhosari police have registered a case against three individuals associated with Gera Imperial Gateway of Gera Development Private Limited in connection with illegal felling of trees. The booked persons have been identified as Kumar Gera, Balaji Khandekar and Vijay Kalyankar.
The incident was exposed by the two tree lovers, one of whom was travelling from Nashik Phata to Bhosari when he noticed that a significant number of trees. were being felled on a side of the road in the open space outside the CIRT compound. The work, involving an excavator machine, took place between May 17 mid- night and May 18.
The tree lovers alerted the PCMC garden assistant Suresh Ghode, who con- firmed that the felling was done without any permission. After conducting the investigation, the PCMC officials performed the 'panchnama' and Ghode filed a complaint against employees of Gera Imperial Gateway, Gera Development Private Limited, stating that the accused caused damage worth 3 lakh by felling trees. Bhosari PSI Shrikant Gurav is investigating the matter.
Ilt came to our 66 notice that the trees were cut without permission and hence we performed the panchnama and served notices to Gera Imperial Gateway, Gera Development Private Limited, Kumar Gera, Balaji Khandekar and Vijay Kalyankar. Police have registered the case for cutting trees without permission, said Ravikiran Ghodke Assistant Commissioner, Garden department.
Ghode has stated in the complaint that tree lovers Sanjay Ausarmal and Sagar Kasbe informed telephonically on May 18 that the trees were chopped at the place in question. Following this, a squad of the garden department rushed to the spot and found that 10 trees were felled. Some of the trees were up- rooted while the branches of the rest were chopped.
Some trees were damaged while the trunks of other trees were harmed, it was found during inspection. Gera Imperial Gateway, a site of Gera Development Private Limited, is under construction at Nashik Phata. Since additional power supply is needed for this site, the parties in question dug land to lay a 22 KV power line from the substation at Bhosari.
When their owners Kumar Gera, Balaji Khandekar and Vijay Kalyankar were questioned, it came to fore that none of them had sought permission to cut the trees. Hence a complaint was filed with the police as it was found that they had caused damage worth Rs 3 lakh by felling trees.
What does rule say?
- It is necessary to obtain permission from the municipal garden department to hack trees within its jurisdiction.
- If any tree is cut without permission, it attracts a fine of Rs 50,000 and if the tree is pruned without permission, there is a fine of Rs 10,000 or two years of imprisonment.