Indore: Forest department, which is expected to protect trees and forests, is busy chopping down the last trees on its campus in Indore division office and furthermore, planning to shut down the nursery as well. The situation becomes worrisome as department officials do not blink an eye while setting fire to remains of the only black bamboo tree in the city.
Legal activist Abhijeet Pandey brought the incident to light raising the issue with Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) on Sunday.
Sharing the details of the incident, Pandey said, “It’s shameful and sad to see that the protectors are the ones chopping down trees, which keep balance in our environment for our survival.”
The officers had sanctioned chopping of teak and black bamboo. Black bamboo is no ordinary tree, as it has several uses including medicinal.
It is used in the treatment of fevers (especially infantile convulsions), vomiting and nosebleeds. “The leaves are harvested during the growing season and dried for later use and this was the only one we had in Indore. Now that has gone, thanks to officials,” Pandey said.
“Ensuring that nothing remains, officials set fire to the tree and cleared all the surroundings,” Pandey said. The tree was located right next to Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) CS Ninima’s house.
He had sanctioned chopping of trees, stating that the trees block sunlight.
Nursery shutdown for convenience of officials?
Pandey said that the main purpose of closing the nursery is mainly personal interest of senior officials of forest department. “There are many environment lovers who visit the nursery to buy saplings, which bothers the officials,” he said.
The complaint added that the nursery is the only one in Indore city under the department, from where hundreds of saplings are sold.
