PWD says it will plant 200 trees in every km

Nagpur: Two days after the midnight felling of over 55 trees by the public works department (PWD) on Wardha-Sewagram-Dattapur road, on Tuesday the agency claimed to have planted 4,000 saplings and said it will plant another 4,000 trees.
“We will plant 200 saplings in every one km. Thus, in the 40km affected stretch, we will plant 8,000 trees. Ten-year maintenance of these trees will be with the contractor,” said executive engineer PN Boob.
On Tuesday, the Wardha Vriksh Bachao Nagrik Samiti (VBNS) called the tree plantation drive by PWD as eyewash. “Last year, when PWD planted saplings, a survey found that there was 75% mortality,” said Sushma Sharma.
The PWD officials and VBNS activists were at crossroads over the statement by executive engineer PN Boob that trees were felled with the consent of VBNS.
However, VBNS activist Sushma Sharma in a statement released to the media said, “On July 26, a joint survey was conducted by us in the presence of public representatives Shekhar Shende and Pravin Hiwre. We had opposed the felling of trees.”
“On July 30, when Boob called me on the issue, I clearly said we are against the felling of the trees. Yet, trees were felled at midnight, and now false propaganda is being made by Boob that consent of VBNS was taken before felling these trees.”
Sharma said, “Boob took VBNS for granted and assumed that our participation in the survey itself was our consent, which is not true.”
One of the activists, Ashok Bang said, “The whole argument that 10 times saplings will be planted in lieu of 60-year-old trees that were felled is ridiculous. The new saplings that are planted are close to the drain and in future will affect the drainage system and again will have to be cut.”