Illegal cutting of expensive trees endangering the environment
Amid the global warming crisis, on one side, many government and non-governmental organizations relentlessly promoting campaigns like ” plant trees, save lives,” on the other side, bunches of trees are chopped down beside streets.
This scenario is now happening in the Begumpur-Bibipur constituency of the Basirhat North Assembly, west Bengal, India.
Chopped trees are lying down along the road adjacent to the sub-health center. Without any government concern, some people indiscriminately cutting and smuggling trees under the nose of the administration. Locals are now questioning the role of administration as this type of works continues to happen.
According to the locals, there were six costly large trees named Albizia lebbeck (Locally known as sires tree) owned by the government, adjacent to the sub-health center at Bibipur village of Begumpur-Bibipur village council. Those trees were 30 to 32 years old.
The estimated value is near a few lakhs. Two days ago, some people suddenly started cutting one of those trees. Allegedly, Bablu Mandal, the people of the local council member, was carrying out the destruction.
When the villagers wanted to know, the people engaged in the tree cutting informed them that the local council member permitted this work. In this way, they cut down two trees unknowingly in two days.
They completed the chopping of two Siris (Albizia lebbeck) trees during the daytime. Just after the light faded away, they immediately transferred those chopped trees to another place. This makes the villagers suspicious. They realize that they smuggled the trees without any government concern.
They fear that the remaining 4 trees will soon become lost in this way! However, local Block Development Officer (BDOs) to administrative officers like the officer-in-charge (OC) of the police station said they did not know anything about this. Joydev Chakraborty, BDO of Block 2 of Basirhat North Assembly, said, “I don’t know.”
We have to find out. Tapia Ghosh, OC of the local Matia police station, also said he did not know anything. BDO is in charge of protecting government property. Legal action will be taken if any complaint are received.
