Ahmedabad: If the Gujarat Forest Department data will be trusted, only 16 trees are cut illegally throughout the Ahmedabad district in 2020-21 (April-March), while 213 trees are cut without permission in Gandhinagar District.
According to the survey of the latest State Forest Department, Ahmedabad Regency is estimated to have 66.10 lakh trees while Gandhinagar has 138.51 lakh trees.
“In rural and urban areas, the local body is authorized to issue permits for tree logging.
These agencies, such as Nagarpalika and City Corporation, are also authorized to take action against people for illegal tree logging,” said an official of the forest department.
The official said that Under-Rapiting is likely because the forestry department receives data from civil bodies.
According to the data of the Ministry of Forestry, in 2020-21 a total of 3,859 trees were illegally cut in the state, 51.5% of them or 1990, reduced into stumps in Vadodara Regency alone.
Letters and Valsad are in second place and third with 726 and 626 trees that are illegally cut down.
Data shows that of 3,859 cases, as many as 407 the perpetrators escape when in the detention of the forestry department team and law prosecution have begun with only four.
The official said the defendant was charged under the logging of Saurashtra Tree (Inflication of Punishment) Act, 1951.