
Trees have been called the structural elements of the ecosystem and are attached to each and every type of organism available in some or the other way.During the past several decades, changes in the global climatic pattern have become evident and have attracted much attention from both the general public and the professional environmental organizations.
Amid widespread illegal cutting of trees, the government’s decision to extend the period of ban is, indeed, a welcome step. Systematic destruction of forest resources across the country has posed a serious threat to environment and our very survival. Though the government ban on cutting trees remains in force since 1990, an ever-increasing number of unscrupulous people are felling trees with impunity. In many cases, the concerned authorities take development projects on lands having many old trees at the site. They cut the trees while implementing the projects and sell those for personal gains.
Any person who fells a tree, can be convicted with imprisonment which may extend to one year or with fine which may extend to Rs1,000 or both under ENFORCEMENT OF INDIAN FOREST ACT, 1927. However a forest offence under the said Act can be compounded by paying value of forest produce or compensation which may extend to Rs. 10,000 or both.
WHEN YOU SEE A TREE BEING CUT OR PRUNED AND WANT TO SAVE IT
1. Challenge the person cutting or pruning the tree. If they have ‘permission’ from the forestdepartment, ask for the original copy of it which will have the forest officer’s signatures.
2. Ask the persons to stop cutting till the original ‘permission’ is brought to you. If theyrefuse to show you the original permission or fail altogether to show any permission, thenyou can safely ask them to stop immediately, if they do not, then dial 100 and call thenearest PCR.
3. A permissionis valid only for 30 days from the date of itsissue. If the date is beyond the 30-days duration, then the permission is invalid and is illegal,unless accompanied by an extension warrant. With this information, when the police vanturns up, you can get the tree-cutting work stopped with immediate effect.
4. If, however, you are shown the original ‘permission’ and its validity is intact, then you cancheck up on the persons executing the ‘permission’, whether they belong to the agency orare employed by the actual grantee of the ‘permission’. If the persons are really authorizedby the grantee or are the grantee themselves, in that case, you cannot do anythingimmediately.
5. If you do not have the courage to walk up to the tree being cut or pruned, you can simply call100 and the Tree Helpline (23378513) of the forest department.
6. Under the tree laws, in normal conditions, even cutting of a single branch of any tree is illegalif done without permission. However, if a tree or its branches are in an imminent conditionof falling or have already crashed, then after being photographed, the tree or the branches can beremoved and the forest office has to be informed of the action with photographic proofwithin 24 hours of the action.