Dial 100 to save deodar trees

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20061227/himachal.htm#7
Dial 100 to save deodar trees, say officials
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 26
The Forest Department has sought police help to stop the construction of a huge retaining wall around the Ram Chandra chowk by the Radha Swami Satsang, which will sound the death knell for several deodar trees.

The local forest authorities had last week directed the satsang staff to stop the construction of the wall as it would lead to the cutting of 13 deodar trees, whose roots would get buried in the concrete of the huge wall. Despite the directive, the construction activity is still on in full swing.

DFO R.K. Raj today wrote to SP A.P. Singh to extend help in stopping the work. Interestingly, the work is being carried on by the same people who were earlier exempted by the local Municipal Corporation allegedly for drying up 30 deodar trees due to constructing a retraining wall around their main property.

The forest officials have already prepared a damage report against the satsang for felling a green broad leaved miscellaneous tree while constructing the wall, which is being raised from the road between Raj Bhawan and Forest Road, leading to St Bede’s College.

“Despite being asked to stop work immediately the satsang staff is carrying on with the construction which could lead to drying up of at least 13 deodar trees,” confirmed Mr Raj, adding that the only option left was to seek police help.

According to a survey conducted by the Himalayan Forest Research Institute, the deodars of the “Queen of Hills” were under grave threat as many of them were drying up due to ageing and unprecedented construction activity.

It had been observed that due to excessive construction activity, the roots of the trees were getting trapped in the concrete walls and drying up.

To save the depleting forest wealth, especially the century-old deodar trees there must be a distance of at least 2 m from a tree.

The government now intends to increase this distance to 5 m in view of the fact that deodar is a huge tree whose branches can go up to 10 m in length.