1,855 trees cut without permission in Mohali: DFO to NGT
National Green Tribunal
(NGT) that 1,855 trees were cut in Mohali area without mandatory permission. He informed that this happened outside the jurisdiction of the forest department and the land in question was not classified as forest land.
In a written reply submitted to the NGT, DFO Kanwar Deep Singh clarified that the land where the felling occurred falls under a non-forest category, and thus, the forest department had no authority to regulate or prevent cutting of trees on it. "The forest department does not have jurisdiction over the said land since it is not a forest area," stated the DFO.
The issue came to light in the wake of a petition filed by the Environment Protection Society, through its president, Harbhajan Singh Minhas and Save My Trees Foundation coordinator, Daljit Singh.
The complaint raised serious environmental concerns over large-scale felling of trees in the district.
According to the DFO's report, although the department was asked to assess the trees on non-forest land, permission for felling of trees was not granted. "It was clearly mentioned in our correspondence that the assessment does not constitute special permission or a No Objection Certificate (NoC). As per procedure, permission must be obtained from the competent authority of the respective department," the reply stated.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years
IC Markets
Learn More
Undo
The forest officer assessed the reserve value of the felled trees and 21 poles at around Rs 69 lakh. He proposed that this amount may be imposed as environmental compensation under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986. However, he noted that enforcement of environmental compensation lies within the purview of the Punjab State Pollution Control Board or the department of environment, not the forest department.
"As provisions related to environmental compensation fall under the Environment Protection Act, the agency concerned may be directed to take necessary steps," the DFO stated.
In a strong recommendation for environmental restoration, the forest department has suggested planting 10 times the number of saplings in place of the cut trees. "To ensure environmental protection and prevent pollution, we advise that 18,550 tree saplings be planted. These can be procured from forest department nurseries," said the DFO.
The matter now rests with the NGT and environmental authorities, with further directions awaited on compensatory measures and accountability of agencies involved in the unauthorised tree felling.
MSID:: 123077325 413 |
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Friendship Day wishes
,
messages
and
quotes
!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
4,300 villages, just 671 ration depots: Tribals seek more PDS shops in Alluri Sitarama Raju district
VISAKHAPATNAM: The public in the newly formed Alluri Sitarama Raju district are demanding more public distribution system (PDS) shops, famously known as ration depots, as there are an insufficient number of depots in faraway places, creating problems for the tribals to get the ration. Tribals and people's organisations are demanding more ration depots by repairing the GCC depots in the district. Moreover, there are allegations that there is no supervision over the existing 671 depots for 8.91 lakh beneficiaries of 2.98 lakh ration cards. The new district has three revenue divisions, which have over 4,300 villages in 22 mandals. It is recalled that the tribal area in the combined Visakhapatnam district had only 11 mandals and around 5 lakh population with only one revenue division, Paderu. After the merger of Rampachodavaram division of East Godavari district and Chintoor of the erstwhile Khamam district, the district population increased to 9.54 lakh, enhancing two more divisions and villages from 3,200 to 4,300 in the district, whose extent increased to 12,251 square kilometres. The public is now demanding mini ration depots in the interior pockets as the existing ration depots are up to 10 km away from their habitations. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'We have only 671 depots for around 4,300 villages, which means 6.5 km is the average distance of each ration depot to the villages. We come all the way from our hilltop villages, and nobody cares about how we carry the ration to our villages and face hardships,' one of the villagers, M Mahesh, said. The Adivasi JAC leader, Ramarao Dora, said that the situation would be different and the hardships of tribals are more in the rainy season as bulging streams and rivulets create more problems. The Girijana Sangham leaders say that many ration depots and godowns are in a dilapidated state following the PDS ration supply at GCC depots being stopped by the previous govt. The leaders hope that the visit of Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar in Paderu division may change the situation.
News18
42 minutes ago
- News18
Kerala Lottery Results Today: Bhagyathara BT-14 Winners For August 4, 2025; First Prize Rs 1 Crore
Last Updated: Kerala Lottery Result Today Live Updates, 04-08-2025: Here's full list of winning numbers for Bhagyathara BT-14 lottery for Monday, August 4, 2025. KERALA JACKPOT LOTTERY Bhagyathara BT-14 RESULT FOR MONDAY, 4.8.2025, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department will soon announce the winning numbers for the Bhagyathara BT‑14 lucky draw for Monday, August 4, 2025. The winner of the first prize will get Rs 1 crore, while the second prize winner will get Rs 30 lakh. The one lucky participant with winning number for the third prize will receive Rs 5 lakh. The draw is scheduled to take place around 3 PM at Gorky Bhavan, near Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram. To maintain transparency, the draw will be held under the supervision of an independent panel of judges. Check the Live Updates and full list of winning numbers here. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
The forgotten heroes of history: How 16,000 pigeons became secret agents during World War II
Some of history's darkest moments are witness to unlikely heroes, who emerged like a blessing disguise. One such story involves humble birds, like the homing pigeons that served as silent but vital secret agents, during World War II. Even though they are overlooked in mainstream history, these feathered messengers became crucial to the Resistance movements used across Nazi-occupied Europe. Their handlers were ordinary villagers and not spies, who risked everything to provide invaluable information to British intelligence. These pigeons flew messages into the hands of the little-known branch of British military intelligence specializing in German-occupied territories. The forgotten spy heroes of history Operation Columba, which was a secret WWII pigeon spy mission run by MI14's Special Pigeon Service, saw British intelligence drop around 16,000 homing pigeons into Nazi-occupied countries between 1941 and 1944. Each crate was placed with rice paper, a small pencil, instructions, and often a recent newspaper to establish credibility of the information. Villagers across France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark found these birds and used them to send intel about troop strength, radar and rocket site from the front lines. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Duong Dai Lo Hung Vuong: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo Roughly 10 % of the pigeons returned, but that small percentage yielded over a thousand vital messages, which was enough to influence Allied strategic decisions. According to Smithsonian magazine, some messages came from the Belgian resistance cell code-named Leopold Vindictive, led by Father Joseph Raskin. His intelligence reached as high as Winston Churchill and prompted MI6 to parachute agents behind enemy lines to support the network. Sadly, Raskin and several members were eventually betrayed, arrested, and executed near the war's end. Pigeons also faced dreadful deaths Among these pigeons, many were shot down, captured by German hawk handlers, or simply eaten by starving civilians before they could carry their messages home. Yet the missions that succeeded had huge impact, some messages helped identify German radar sites shooting down RAF bombers, others warned of rocket launch areas targeting London. Out of this daring experiment, several pigeons earned the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, for bravery and service. Famously, pigeons like Commando and William of Orange carried life-saving intelligence on dozens of missions, including messages that helped save over 2,000 soldiers. From their secret service roles in military intelligence, the image of pigeons completely changed. Once seen merely as common birds, they came to be acknowledged as wartime heroes. Their legacy reminds us that even in the age of developed warfare, spirit and simplicity can perform extraordinary tasks beyond expectations.
