Another sandalwood tree stolen from NMC garden

Nagpur: In fourth such incident within seven months, unidentified persons entered, cut and decamped with sandalwood tree from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) garden.
The incident took place at NMC’s Shivaji Nagar Garden, which is situated in middle of residential buildings. Though responsible to conserve all trees across the city, the civic body is unable to protect trees, especially sandalwood which is high-risk tree, on its own premises.
Deputy municipal commissioner (garden) Amol Chorpagar told TOI that it seems a gang is involved behind all the incidents. “NMC has appointed security guards at all its garden. There was a security guard inside the garden when the sandalwood tree was cut and taken away at 3.15am on Saturday.”
“In his statement, the guard said he heard noise of tree felling and ran towards it. He saw three persons running towards the compound wall on Ravi Nagar square side. He said they climbed the wall and fled. It seems a gang, probably from South India, is involved in all the cases as it is very difficult to identify a sandalwood tree. Also, it needs daring to cut it inside the gardens,” he said.
There were five sandalwood trees inside Shivaji Nagar garden of which four are situated in one area near the sewage treatment plant while the other is behind the bamboo library, which was was stolen. By the shape of the leftover trunk, it is clear that the miscreants used machine to chop it.
Chorpagar said show cause notice has been issued to agency — Super Security — asking why its contract should not be terminated and cost of sandalwood tree not be recovered. “The NMC will terminate the contract and engage an efficient private agency,” he said.
Chorpagar also said a survey will be conducted to count and label all sandalwood trees situated in NMC-run gardens. “We are planning to fence sandalwood trees so that it cannot be cut by machines,” he said.
The team from NMC’s garden department led by garden inspector Ananta Nagmote conducted panchnama and registered a complaint at Ambazari police station.
The tree was around 20ft high and its trunk was 2ft in diameter. There were some cables over the tree which came down after it’ felling. It takes time and also make noise when a tree is cut using a machine.
On July 28 last year, two sandalwood trees were stolen from Ambazari garden where too security guards were present. In this case, the NMC had terminated the contract of Unity Security Private Ltd and replaced it with MESCO.
Two more sandalwood trees were chopped down and taken away on August 9 and 10 last year from the garden situated inside NMC’s head office at Civil Lines despite the presence of two security guards of MESCO.
In the first three cases, the NMC’s garden department had recovered compensation of Rs25,000 per tree from security agencies. In these cases, Ambazari and Sadar police stations are yet to identify and arrest the culprits.
DCP Vinita Sahu did not respond to TOI’s call and message.
Green activist Jaydeep Das said four such incidents raise a big question on NMC as well as police. “The NMC has no control over the trees across the city. But it should at least secure sandalwood and other high-risky trees. Sandalwood trees are guarded with 10ft-high tree guards in forest areas but nothing is being done in the city,” he said.
“Many green areas in the city have sandalwood trees. Police too are to be blamed as the incidents could not have increased had they taken stringent action. A committee should be constituted immediately to identify sandalwood trees across the city, count and label them for security purpose,” he added.