Rourkela: Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) administration has started chopping down of old trees even before the euphoria over Van Mahotsav dies down in the city, said a report.
Not only prominent social outfits, many government departments were also seen observing Van Mahotsav, a programme to spread awareness on protection of environment by planting trees, throughout the month of July in Rourkela. There was desperation all over the place to get a spot in the media. But come August, the administration began chopping the 20 to 30-year-old trees along main thoroughfares of Rourkela in the name of road-widening.
For instance, more than 50 big trees have been removed along Koel Nagar-Hill Top Chhak road of Sector-20 in last two days. The RSP authorities have asked to cut the trees as part of the road expansion project, said the people who have been assigned with the job.
It is baffling to learn that the RSP administration has planned to widen the roads in the middle of rainy season, said locals.
Orissa POST reported in its Friday edition that RSP authorities have postponed the road repair works at many places till the end of rainy season. They have placed sand bags on the trenches dug out for laying of water pipe lines even as school students regularly meet with accidents due to bad shape of the roads.
Meanwhile, the environmentalists of the city have opposed the removal of tree. As the expansion project cannot be undertaken now due to rains, there was no need to fell the trees, they argued.
“There is no logic in cutting down the trees that produce oxygen. Before taking such drastic measures, the RSP administration should plant enough fast-growing saplings in nearby areas to replace them,” said Sangram Parida, an environment lover.
With thinning down of flora and fauna, people would suffer from deadly diseases including skin cancer if exposed to the ultraviolet ray of sun. So, it is high time people protested at various levels against cutting down of trees, Parida added.
Prabharanjan Panda, another citizen of the city, said massive chopping of trees has resulted in global warming and the administration should stay away from it. PNN