Journalism of Courage
After the tragic death of Heerakshi, a class 10 student of Carmel Convent School, Chandigarh, the heritage trees of Chandigarh have come under focus. It must be noted that, often, it takes months or even years to get approval to fell the branch of a dangerous tree in Chandigarh.
The application has to clear over a dozen channels and if there are objections, it takes several months or years. A senior official of the horticulture wing stated that a report is prepared first with photographs when an application is received. The condition of the tree is inspected after a field visit. Some residents said that it takes months to get the horticulture official for field inspection.
“The file then moves from the executive engineer of the horticulture department to superintending engineer. The file then goes to the chief engineer and from there to the principal secretary (home) who further sends it for approval to the adviser. He then sends the file to the forest department (chief conservator of forest) who then tasks his staff with cross checking after carrying out an inspection and preparing a report,” an official said.
If there is no objection, the report is sent to the chief conservator who then gives a final nod and sends the file back to the adviser, who sends it back to the chain involving the principal secretary home, chief engineer, et al. Finally, the sub-divisional officer and junior engineer concerned decide to chop the tree.
Chandigarh Adviser Dharam Pal said that the procedure has been made online too and once inspection is done, it is sent to him through different channels for approval.
“Still, I will tell them to check such cases on day to day basis and act swiftly when the plea for a dangerous tree comes,” he said.
Executive Engineer, Horticulture, Parvesh Sharma, said that the Right to Service Act gives 45 days for the entire process. However, another official said this is often not followed and approvals take months.
A resident of Sector 47 C said that his father, a retired colonel, has been running from one department to another for the last three years to get a tree cut, which is about to fall on his house. The tree has tilted and bends further with each storm. The owner wrote a letter in September, 2019 to the executive engineer saying that the tree is risky and could fall.
Online system falsely shows complaint resolved
Another resident, Vicky Bansal, said that despite complaints, there was no action by the horticulture department. The system online falsely showed that the complaint was resolved. The tree ultimately fell but luckily, there was no loss of life or damage to property. “However there are two more trees in the same line and they are leaning on one side,” Bansal added.
Anil Malhotra, an advocate based at Sector 16 said that he has made several complaints of an overgrown mango tree in their backyard which could fall due to high winds and damage property.
The UT Administration formed a committee to conduct a magisterial inquiry into the matter. However several residents pointed out as to how the administration would investigate itself as those in the committee are supposed to be the protectors of the tree. The committee includes SDM Central, XEN horticulture and range forest officer.
RK Garg, an activist stated that “The committee comprises staff of the department who may be responsible for decay of the tree” and as such “we place our objection to such committee and demand that a high level committee under an unrelated IAS officer with members from NGT and Forest Research Institute. It may be constituted for a fair investigation to fix responsibility and give recommendation for future.”
