Umred RFO grants permission to fell trees in city limits

Nagpur: South Umred range forest officer (RFO) Vaishnavi Jhare has been accused of exceeding her jurisdiction and granting permission to fell 282 trees for road widening in Umred town.
The RFO cited provisions of Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act 1975 in granting permission to fell big trees on both sides of the national highway (353D) touching Umred municipal council limits. But, it was not in her jurisdiction.
Permission for felling these trees was supposed to be granted by the municipal council CO under the act. The areas from where trees have been felled is in jurisdiction of council as per government notification of 1867.
The RFO granted the nod on May 22, 2020, to fell 282 trees on both sides of road in survey number 4 of Umred town. This area is under municipal council chief officer (CO). The RFO was supposed to grant permission to fell trees only outside the municipal limits.
RFO Jhare says, “The Act is OK but I granted permission to fell trees after coordinating with CO’s office. The chief officer gave nod to fell trees and only after that we allowed NHAI to cut them.”
However, questions have been raised that if Jhare coordinated with the CO, why she did not mark a copy of felling order to him?
Umred chief officer Rajesh Bhagat told TOI, “I joined eight months ago and during this period I have not granted any permission to forest officials to fell these trees. I will check whether my predecessor had granted any permission.”
Nagpur deputy conservator Prabhunath Shukla said, “In such areas, we do evaluation of trees but I have no knowledge about this case. I will check.” Documents with TOI show a copy of the permission to fell trees is also marked to Shukla.
“The act is to regulate felling of trees and plant adequate new trees in those areas. On the contrary, the forest department, which is mandated to protect green cover, is pushing large-scale felling,” said green activist Shrikant Deshpande.
Law Violated
* Under Section 3 of Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection & Preservation of Trees Act 1975, tree authority in every municipal council under CO appoints tree officer under Section 5 to allow felling of trees
* Umred CO is chairman of tree authority for areas under Umred council, to decide on tree felling including transplanting trees necessitated by construction of new roads or widening
* In present case, RFO exceeded her jurisdiction and granted permission to fell 282 trees on May 22, 2020
* NHAI wrongly sent request application to RFO office on July 11, 2019, for grant of permission instead of sending it to tree officer under municipal council
* Without verifying facts RFO granted permission, without nod from CO