Sanatan Prabhat > Post Type > News > National News > Register criminal cases against contractors strangling trees

Register criminal cases against contractors strangling trees

  • ‘Surajya Abhiyan’ submits demands to administrative authorities at multiple locations !
  • Campaign highlights illegal practices such as concretization around trees and nailing advertisements onto them

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced the ‘Vruksha Sanjeevani’ campaign from April 1st for the protection of approximately 29.75 lakhs trees in the city.

However, the Surajya Abhiyan, initiated by the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, has questioned whether this initiative is merely a symbolic, 1-day effort being treated as an event rather than a sustained environmental measure.

The campaign has raised objections to illegal practices carried out in several cities under the guise of beautification projects; particularly concretization around tree bases and advertisements nailed directly onto trees.

According to the campaign, these are not optional civic services but mandatory legal responsibilities under orders issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Driving nails into trees to display advertisements and pouring concrete up to their trunks; thereby restricting natural growth; constitutes a direct violation of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975, as well as clear NGT directives.

Representations regarding these issues have already been submitted to the district administrations of Jalgaon and Satara. Similar memorandums have also been presented to the Mayor and Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai, as well as authorities in Nagpur, informed campaign coordinator Shri. Abhishek Murukate.

Statements by Surajya Abhiyan Coordinator Shri. Abhijit Murukate;

1. The situation across the state is alarming. In Mumbai alone, 17.43 kilograms of nails and 1,460 illegal advertisement boards were removed from trees over the past year.

2. Despite High Court directives mandating that at least 1 metre of unpaved space be maintained around trees, cement layers continue to be poured around thousands of trees during development works. Even as large-scale damage to tree cover is evident, why are no criminal cases being registered against advertisers or contractors? This remains a serious concern.

3. Due to concretization, tree roots are deprived of oxygen, weakening the trees and increasing incidents of trees collapsing. Administrative negligence is being cited as the primary cause.

Key demands of Surajya Abhiyan

1. Under the “Polluter Pays” principle, contractors responsible must remove concrete around trees at their own expense. Instead of issuing mere notices, such contractors should be immediately blacklisted. Government tenders must make it mandatory to leave open space around trees, and payments should be withheld in case of violations.

2. Campaigns like ‘Vruksha Sanjeevani’ should not remain limited to a single city. The State Government must issue immediate orders to implement such initiatives effectively across Maharashtra.

3. The administration must move beyond symbolic one-day programmes and enforce strict legal action.

4. A permanent legal mechanism should be established across Maharashtra to ensure trees have adequate space and environmental protection.

5. Tree conservation will remain ineffective until strict legal deterrence is created against commercial establishments and contractors violating environmental norms.

 

Editorial Perspectives

  • Such acts amount to cruelty toward trees and are violations of the law. How is the administration allowing this to continue ? Either the concerned officials lack awareness of the law or are deliberately ignoring violations. Therefore, action must be taken not only against contractors but also against responsible administrative officials.
  • If a public-interest organisation can identify these violations, how is it that the administration; with all its mechanisms and information systems; fails to notice them ? Does the administration not wish to prevent environmental degradation ?

Latest Articles