Greater Noida West: Instead of promoting afforestation, Greater Noida Authority is promoting deforestation. Greater Noida Authority’s senior officials are transplanting about 1000 trees because they are creating hurdles in the way of the under-construction underpass. There is a daily traffic jam in Greater Noida West. To end the problem of traffic jams, the Greater Noida Authority decided to build an underpass.
The senior officials of the Greater Noida Authority are unaware
Instead of using technology, the contractor started removing the trees with the help of a JCB machine and shifting them to another place. Due to the non-use of technology, the removed trees started drying up.
The organisation SAFE has registered a complaint against this
Upon getting information on the matter, the Social Action for Forest and Environment (SAFE) organization has registered a complaint. Along with this, it has also given the technical information of removing the trees. Taking cognizance of the matter, the authority officials have immediately stopped the work of removing the trees. Now other trees will be removed based on technology.
Trees are being removed for this reason
There is a daily traffic jam in Greater Noida West. To end the problem of traffic jams, the Greater Noida Authority decided to build an underpass. There are 1052 trees on the road where the underpass is to be built. These trees are being removed and planted at another place.
Authority has issued notice against this
The Authority had issued a tender for this work, but it was not mentioned in it that the trees should be removed technically. Due to a lack of information, the contract was given to a contractor doing civil work. Vikrant Tongan of Safe Sanstha says that when he went to the spot he saw that the trees were being removed with the help of JCB. No technology was being used. In such a situation, all the trees to be removed would have dried up. The matter has been brought to the notice of senior officials of the Authority and for the time being, they have stopped the work.
A budget of Rs 50 lakh released
Vikrant Tongad, Environmentalist says, “Under the UP Tree Act, there is a provision to plant new trees in place of the trees that are being removed. The authority has released a budget of about Rs 50 lakh to the forest department for planting two thousand new trees. About Rs 2300 has been given for one tree. So much money has not been given anywhere in UP so far.
Vikrant Tongad has asked the authority officials to take cognizance of this matter as well.