Navi Mumbai: Greens raise red flag, report illegal tree hacking at Belapur

Navi Mumbai: Green groups are up in arms against the tree cutting at Belapur along the Kille Gaothan road from behind the NRI Police station till the CIDCO guest house. The group claimed that the civic body asked officials to check after it complained. 

The NatConnect Foundation claimed that CIDCO said the area had already been handed over to Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) long ago. However, on the contrary, the civic body showed ignorance on the development.

NatConnect Foundation reported illegal tree hacking

B N Kumar, director of Belapur NatConnect Foundation said that the local ward office ordered for an inquiry after NatConnect Foundation brought the illegal tree hacking to their notice. 

“This looks like a big farce,” bird lover Paramdeep Grewal said. The trees are mysteriously numbered. They are not just cut but uprooted with JCB machines, she alleged. “When I complained about it to a civic official, he told me that I should have stopped,” Grewal said, wondering how a common citizen would stop JCB machines. 

A plot in the area has GST Commissionerate’s sign, NatConnect director B N Kumar said. NMMC officials are not aware as to who painted the numbers on the trees, he said and pointed out that the fact that the NMMC ward officer is also not aware of the violation raises several questions.

He requested the Municipal Commissioner to take stringent action against the environmental violation, restoration of the trees cut and constant vigil to prevent further loss.

The entire area is a lush green stretch and home to several exotic birds and biodiversity. Several birds have lost their nests due to this cruel act, Kumar said, adding that the local ward office team is now on alert and also posted guards in the area.