Belgaum city is blessed greenery as it located in close to the western ghats. But lately this green cover is under threat. Thousands of trees were cut for road widening between khanapur and Belgaum.
The urbanisation is slowly taking heavy toll on the treee in Belgaum. There was just one isolated incident where the tree fell on the rider near RTO circle in which the rider lost his life. Thousands of people are killed due to drink and drive is the government closing liquor shops, ask the activist who are outraged by the felling of a huge tree near the vaccine depot.
Many trees in Belgaum have now been marked and chopped off. Several activists who are trying to stop this illegal cutting find no support. The trees can not speak for themselves which are chopped of mercilessly and sold in the market.
PIL in the Supreme Court:
A PIL was filed on 26th June 2021 by Advocate Kiran Kulkarni and Satish Biradar on behalf of Rajeev Toppannavar and other members claiming that trees are being cut in the vaccine depot for the development works.
The Supreme Court on Friday (Aug.12) dismissed the Public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Rajeev Topannavar, a city-based environmentalist, asking to stop the development activities of Belagavi Smart City Limited (BSCL) at Vaccine Depot premises claiming that trees are being cut and these projects would harm the green lung space’s ecosystem.
Vaccine depot is a lung space of Belgaum city. Hundreds of people visit it for morning and evening walks. The depot is home to species of birds and reptiles which is a treat to watch.
If reports on social media pages are to be believed some trees in the city have been marked to be cut.
Green saviours and other organisations on the other side have been conducting re plantation drive each weekend in and around the city with good results. The felling of big trees in Belgaum is taking a heavy toll because it takes many years for the trees to grow that size. The trees are home to birds and squirrels.
They provide shade and oxygen to humans. The merciless chopping should stop. Belgaum should come together to save the trees which give life to the city.