Nagpur: Over the past decade, organized mafia has been active to cut down sandalwood trees in the city.
After a series of theft throughout the city, it is estimated that more than 500 cendal trees that are worth crores have been cut.
The last tree census in the city was carried out in 2010.
In accordance with senior official from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) park, the city has 21.43 lakh trees from various species.
From them, 895 is a sandalwood tree.
NMC does not have fresh notes from intact sandalwood trees in the city.
It is feared almost 50% of the 895 trees now remain.
The official admitted that the theft of sandalwood trees had improved manifold.
Violates the habit of cutting sandalwood trees and smuggling them to sandalwood oil extraction factories in various parts of the country.
In the past two years, the city has recorded at least 20 theft of sandalwood trees – recently at Garden Ambazari – from all cities, especially Western Nagpur, the official said.
Green activists demand a new census of at least a sandalwood tree, which is included in the Indian Union Red List for natural conservation (IUCN) as a vulnerable category.
“This means that local authorities (the department of gardens and forests) are mainly responsible for their protection,” said environmental activist Jaydeep Das.
Further watershed said that of some cases of sandalwood tree theft, some of the parks, parks and many others from the government’s own bungalows, have been reported.
“NMC failure to conduct a tree census for more than a decade shows that they are not aware of the number of species and locations in the area they are responsible,” he said.
Green Crusader said that the authorities failed to take concrete actions against those who cut trees illegally in the city.
“The thieves are aware of the attitude of this sluggish authority and do not have a fearful person,” he said.
According to the founder of the Green Vigil Foundation Kaustav Chatterjee, because of the high commercial value, many sandalwood trees have been illegally cut in the past.
“Surprisingly that sandalwood trees are cut down and taken without being noticed,” he said.
“The tree census has been postponed several times for various reasons such as lack of labor and funds,” he said and demanded that at least the census of sandalwood trees do “because they are one of the most species and the number is not substantial.” “Instead of conducting a tree census in one go, it can be a multilayer tree project or a certain area,” he said.
Chatterjee said that in the morning hours, the gang involved in the cutting of illegal trees moved in a signless cycle throughout the city.
“After NMC begins to take strict action on such individuals, the sandalwood incident and other tree feelings will reduce substantially,” he said.
Census tree 2010 area – sandalwood trees neeri — 264 Shankar Nagar — 174 conscious — 110 civil lines — 53 medical colleges — 36 ambazari — 35 maharajbagh – 31 Airport Sonegaon – – -33 DeeShabhoomi — 18 Subharar Baru — 13 Dabha — 11 Placing — 11 Dharampeth — 11 (the area has more than 10 cendal trees)