State forest department has issued a notice to a tractor and agri-equipment MNC, imposing a fine of Rs7 lakh for the failed translocation of 14 scheduled trees on its Sanaswadi plant premises.
According to the notice issued on Sept 14, the department has decided to impose a fine of Rs50,000 per tree under the Maharashtra Tree Felling Act, 1965. The MNC has also been instructed to plant twice the number of trees that were felled on the plant’s premises.
In June 2023, the forest department had permitted the company, John Deere, to fell 510 trees and translocate 236 trees to facilitate the expansion of its plant, after the company furnished a bond.
The 236 trees included 147 neem trees, and a few blackboard, terminalia, ficus, coconut and Tabebuia rosea (pink trumpet) trees. Earlier this month, the department received a complaint alleging that the MNC did not translocate 14 trees, but instead felled and buried them in the ground, covering it up with a tar road.
Department officials on Sept 5 visited the plant premises and dug up 12 neem trees and two ficus trees from underneath a tar road.
The Shirur range forest officer then served two notices — on Sept 5 and Sept 9 — to the company manager and three individuals from the MNC, respectively, to show cause as to why no legal action must be taken against them. On both occasions, the company denied all allegations of a violation.
“We received evidence and had proof of the trees being covered up. Since they continued to deny it, we have decided to impose the fine and give them a period of 15 days to pay it. Otherwise, it will go on the govt record of their land,” said range forest officer Pratap Jagtap.
The department also plans to open an investigation into violations of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, in this case, which would include any habitat destruction of scheduled species of animals present in the felled trees. The complainant had reported owl hollows being observed in the trees.
Jagtap added, “Once we are done with investigating and settling this matter, we will take up a probe of any threats that occurred to the wildlife and habitat as well.” said Jagtap.
TOI contacted John Deere via email for comment but received no response till the time of going to print on Thursday.
