Rajasthan
Solar Plant: Green Activists Protest Felling Of Khejri Trees For Solar Plant In Jaisalmer Dist |
Jaisalmer: Environment enthusiasts and locals in Fatehgarh subdivision of Jaisalmer district are upset over hundreds of khejri trees and other desert species felled and burnt in the last few days to make space for a solar plant being set up by the Adani Group at Devikot.
District collector Ashish Modi said work at the power project has been stopped following complaints about illegal felling of trees. A team has been formed, comprising the Fatehgarh SDM, tehsildar, forest department officials and patwaris, to conduct a probe.
“Due action as per law would be taken after the probe report comes in. All the documents are being checked to find out if any work has taken place without permission and NOC,” said Modi.
DFO Ashutosh Ojha said the land on which the solar plant is being set up has been purchased by the company from private parties and that it has got NOC from the district administration for commercial conversion.
Environment enthusiasts have alleged that the company’s contractors have been felling the khejri trees by the hundreds over the last few days. They said the contractors are burning these green trees after cutting them down. When the contractors did not relent despite protests by the villagers, the environment enthusiasts and locals wrote letters to the forest department, district administration and police.
“The company has been uprooting green trees in the jungle at night with the help of JCB machines. Many khejri trees have been destroyed by being burnt down. This is how the jungles are being brought to their end. No officer of the forest department or district administration is taking action. The government has given around 3,000 bighas of land to the company at Devikot, and they have felled nearly 350 khejri trees till now,” said environment enthusiast Sumer Singh Bhati.
He said the DFO of Jaisalmer said in a report on September 19 that many khejri trees stand on the land allotted for the solar plant and that efforts are being made to transplant them, but Bhati said the transplanted trees have all dried up and that the company does not have the required expertise to transplant khejri trees.
Environment enthusiast Radheyshyam Pemani said many solar plants are being set up in Fatehgarh and that these companies have been felling khejri, jal, ker, ber and other trees.
“If the government does not take action, we will start a Chipko agitation, and the administration will be responsible,” he said.
District collector Ashish Modi said work at the power project has been stopped following complaints about illegal felling of trees. A team has been formed, comprising the Fatehgarh SDM, tehsildar, forest department officials and patwaris, to conduct a probe.
“Due action as per law would be taken after the probe report comes in. All the documents are being checked to find out if any work has taken place without permission and NOC,” said Modi.
DFO Ashutosh Ojha said the land on which the solar plant is being set up has been purchased by the company from private parties and that it has got NOC from the district administration for commercial conversion.
Environment enthusiasts have alleged that the company’s contractors have been felling the khejri trees by the hundreds over the last few days. They said the contractors are burning these green trees after cutting them down. When the contractors did not relent despite protests by the villagers, the environment enthusiasts and locals wrote letters to the forest department, district administration and police.
“The company has been uprooting green trees in the jungle at night with the help of JCB machines. Many khejri trees have been destroyed by being burnt down. This is how the jungles are being brought to their end. No officer of the forest department or district administration is taking action. The government has given around 3,000 bighas of land to the company at Devikot, and they have felled nearly 350 khejri trees till now,” said environment enthusiast Sumer Singh Bhati.
He said the DFO of Jaisalmer said in a report on September 19 that many khejri trees stand on the land allotted for the solar plant and that efforts are being made to transplant them, but Bhati said the transplanted trees have all dried up and that the company does not have the required expertise to transplant khejri trees.
Environment enthusiast Radheyshyam Pemani said many solar plants are being set up in Fatehgarh and that these companies have been felling khejri, jal, ker, ber and other trees.
“If the government does not take action, we will start a Chipko agitation, and the administration will be responsible,” he said.
