Only 1 out of 156 corporators raises Ajni tree felling issue

Nagpur: With only one out of 156 corporators in Nagpur Municipal Corporation House raising the issue of Ajni Van speaks volumes about the city fathers’ concern about restoring the city’s green cover.
Congress corporator Harish Gwalbanshi on Monday expressed concern over NMC garden department’s public notice to fell 4,522 trees for the proposed inter-modal station (IMS) coming up at Ajni.
Participating in a discussion on the NMC budget, Gwalbanshi expressed shock as the ruling party has made no budgetary provision for tree plantation in the city at a time when the garden department has proposed to cut such a huge number of trees in the heart of the city.
“We should prevent tree felling of this magnitude in Ajni as it will be a great environmental loss to the city,” he said. “In spite of so many Covid deaths due to shortage of oxygen, how come hundreds of trees providing oxygen to Nagpur city are allowed to be felled?” he asked.
According to him, every corporator should not only plant 100 saplings but also ensure they grow well and survive. The garden department should initiate a drive to plant saplings of neem tree in the city as they not only provide oxygen but are also easy-to-care for.