The Times of India               19.06.2013

NMC invites citizens' views on tree felling

NASHIK: The gardens department of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) has issued a public notice, inviting suggestions and objections on felling of 10 trees in west division's ward 15 for facilitating construction of a road.

The 18-metre-wide road will be constructed from MVP Engineering College to Sahadevnagar as a part of the development plan.

A gardens department official said, "The trees on this road are hindering the development process and could cause accidents."

The last date for submitting objections or suggestions is June 24 and citizens will have to approach the divisional officer or the tree officer at the west divisional office in Pandit colony, the official said.

An environmental activist said that ideally, such decisions are taken at a meeting of the tree authority committee, but there is no such committee in the NMC for over a year.

The NMC official said that although the NMC's tree authority committee was not reconstituted this year, the municipal commissioner can take a decision on felling or pruning of trees as he is the head of the committee.

"We are following the norms and taking permission from the municipal commissioner," the official added.

The 10 trees that face the axe are from the subabul, vadula, shiras, nilgiri, teak, papda and gulmohar species.