What felled Ambazari trees? Heavy winds or illegal cutting

Nagpur: The case of tree felling at Ambazari garden is witnessing a strong discord. While the civic authority has stated that around 58 trees got uprooted due to heavy winds and rainfall that hit the city some days back, environmentalists disagreed, pointing out that significant evidences suggest illegal felling of trees.
The case first came to the fore when young green crusader Kunal Mourya along with few others went to Ambazari garden to campaign for saving trees at Ajni Van. Morning walkers informed the activists that some big trees were uprooted by a JCB machine.
As reported by TOI, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has signed an agreement with operator Garuda Amusement (Nagpur) Pvt Ltd to develop fitness, recreational, amusement and tourism facilities at Ambazari garden.
On getting this information, TOI last week visited the area along with activists and found clear marks of huge tyres near some uprooted tree bases outside the garden. “It is evident that these trees have not felled naturally. The marks of tyre clearly show that the trees were deliberately felled,” said Mourya.
A nearby resident informed that the work of felling the trees was done during the night. “This has been going on since some days. The authorities have closed the garden for general public hence we don’t know what is going on inside. But we are sure that large-scale tree felling is happening inside the garden,” he said, not wanting to be named.
Following complaints of activists, the officials of Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) garden department carried out a spot inspection. According to them, few trees outside the garden have been felled using JCB but 58 trees inside “got uprooted due to heavy wind”.
Slamming this, environmentalists demanded a spot visit inside the garden. “How can trees inside the garden get uprooted from heavy winds but not in nearby areas? This has been done with mala fide intentions as there is no transparency. When trees on concrete roads are standing tall, how can the ones inside a dense garden fall? It seems that NMC have also become a spokesperson of policy-makers,” said environmentalist Anasuya Kale Chhabrani.
On Wednesday, Congress MLA from West Nagpur Vikas Thakre visited the spot with MTDC and NMC officials. Speaking to TOI, Thakre said, “The authorities and the private contractor are fooling the public by saying that such large number of trees and Ambedkar Bhavan collapsed after heavy winds. It is not possible. They are misleading the citizens using taxpayers’ money. While trees hold immense environmental importance, the Bhavan too has significant cultural value.”
Thakre will be raising the issue with higher authorities. TOI could not contact MTDC officials.