Aranya Saptaha 2009

Group photo after plantation of saplings

Celebration of "Aranya Saptaha" has just ended. During this plantation week a good news has come to environment and nature lovers that will help us to protect today's plants and future trees. As per news report the state government is planning to introduce a Bill to restrict tree-felling in and around Calcutta. Once the Bill is passed, felling of trees will become punishable by fine as well as imprisonment.

This law should be first applied to the Salt Lake Municipality because they have given free hand to the bill board owners to cut (not trim) the grown up trees on the braodway in Salt Lake. Many trees have been cut from the stem just to increase the visibility of the bill boards. One side, some departments, public are planting trees every year during this week and some department of the same Government / people are deliberately cutting trees.

I welcome the views of mayoral council member Fayaz Khan, in charge of parks and gardens, who asserted that outdoor advertising agencies would not be allowed to trim trees to increase the visibility of their billboards. He was reacting to the trimming of 18 trees along AJC Bose Road on Tuesday. An FIR has been lodged at Park Street police station against the incident.At least Mr. Khan is alert there to look after the City area but who will look after Salt Lake City? Here trees are cut mercilessly by the bill board owners with the Municipality's silent approval for this act. A strict law should be introduced to save the trees. There should be complete ban on cutting trees for viewing bill boards.

If this type of things go on, then what is the necessity to celebrate Aranya Saptaha? Every Year in the rainy season, this festival is celebrated by Government and its offices through out the country. This year, my office too celebrated 'Aranya Saptaha' on 21 Jul 2009 in response to a directive from HQ for the same. We collected 50 saplings from the Forest department, Govt of West Bengal and each of us planted more than two saplings at our Residential complex at Belur.

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