Gurugram society fined ₹10,000 for illegal tree pruning

The residents’ welfare association (RWA) of Kendriya Vihar in Sector 56 was fined ₹10,000 on Friday for illegal pruning of trees. A team of forest officials inspected the colony to verify the complaint filed by a group of residents who are unhappy with the association’s illegal pruning.

Karamvir Malik, forest range officer, Gurugram, said, “Our beat officer has filed a damage report which is in the initial stages of assessing the offence. The beat officer will submit the final report to me by Monday. However, the damage has already been done to hundreds of trees, and the fine of ₹10,000 is justified.”

The forest official said that the RWA committed a major offence, since it did not seek permission from the forest department before pruning.

“The RWA of Kendriya Vihar will have to deposit the amount in seven days. If the RWA does not pay the fine amount, the matter will land up in a special court at Faridabad and will be put up for a trial under the Indian Forest Act,” said Malik, adding that it is illegal to chop or cut a tree from the root.

Members of the RWA said that pruning was needed to reduce short circuits of electricity wires. The RWA members had held a meeting with the officials of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and the area councillor, followed by a survey of the colony a week ago.

HC Goyal, RWA president, Kendriya Vihar, said, “Although it is true that we did not write to the forest department seeking permission for pruning, we have not killed or damaged any tree at all.”

As per the complaint, many trees such as Ashoka, Peepal, Neem, among others, have disappeared in the past two years, while many others have been pruned badly.

“On Wednesday, we spotted a team of workers engaged in the pruning of trees, chopping many trees badly. We appeal to forest department to initiate strict action against individuals who are responsible and stop further pruning at the earliest,” stated the complaint sent by a resident to district forest office on Thursday.