6 months after plaint, garbage ops dir booked for cutting trees

Nagpur: Acting on a complaint by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) six months ago, Sonegaon police have booked garbage operator AG Enviro Projects Private Ltd’s project director Sameer Tonpe for cutting trees on a patch of London Street at Sahakar Nagar. In the case of tree felling at Ajni Van, Imamwada police are yet to take any action, and have sought more details from the civic body.
Senior PI of Sonegaon police station Baliram Singh Pardesi and PI Vijay Naik told TOI, “Tonpe has been booked under section 21(1) of Maharashtra (urban areas) Preservation of Trees Act-1975.”


With the help of Google Earth images of 2019-20 and 2022, TOI had on October 2, 2022, reported that AG Enviro cut down over 100 trees on two patches of proposed London Street Project in 2021. The trees were chopped at Sahakar Nagar for garbage transfer station, and for parking of vehicles at Rajendra Nagar.
Citing lack of any permission for tree cutting, and referring to TOI’s report, NMC garden superintendent Amol Chorpagar had on October 17 last year lodged a complaint with Sonegaon police station, demanding an offence against AG Enviro for cutting over 100 trees at two locations. He also submitted copies of Google Earth images showing trees at the two sites in 2019-2020, and vacant land in 2022.
The FIR registered by Sonegaon police is for trees cut at Sahakar Nagar. Sonegaon police did not take cognizance of trees chopped at Rajendra Nagar, since the area us not under its jurisdiction. At the same time, Sonegaon police did not transfer the Rajendra Nagar case to Rana Pratap Nagar police station for similar action.
Tonpe said, “No trees were cut at the two sites. At Sahakar Nagar, we might have cleared bushes, which means plants below 1.5feet height.”
In case of tree felling at Ajni Van, Imamwada police have not registered an FIR despite a complaint lodged by NMC on Wednesday. Officials from Imamwada police station said NMC’s complaint lacks various details, so it was not accepted. “We have written a letter to NMC asking for a complaint with detailed information,” they said.
As demanded by green crusaders, NMC had lodged a complaint demanding action against Rail Land Development Agency (RLDA) and its contractors for felling trees, including some heritage ones.
Unfortunately, NMC is firm on its count of 97 trees having been felled. NGO Swacch Association’s complaint lodged with municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B on April 22 had alleged 500-600 trees were cut down by RLDA through its contractors for Ajni Railway Station Redevelopment Project in last 15-20 days. Green crusader Kunal Mourya claims at least 200 trees were cut.