Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A major environmental violation has surfaced on Hoshangabad Road in Jatkhedi area, where dozens of fully grown trees—over 10 years old—were allegedly cut down overnight in a designated greenbelt zone near a developing shopping complex.
The incident has drawn public outrage, with complaints submitted to Bhopal Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh, Municipal Commissioner Harendra Narayan and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Vijay Kumar Ambade.
Environmental activists Nitin Saxena and Umakant Tiwari alleged that the plantation was carried out a decade ago under the Capital Project (Rajdhani Pariyojna) initiative and had matured into large trees.
According to them, the felling was carried out illegally to improve the visibility of a commercial complex’s frontage—an act that blatantly tampered with the designated greenbelt.
Ironically, the illegal activity happened near a Housing for All (HFA) project being developed by Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC), yet no official was reportedly aware of the deforestation.
The affected land falls in Municipal Zone 13, Ward 55. When questioned about permissions for tree removal, officials either remained silent or expressed ignorance. Preliminary findings suggest the felling was linked to nearby mall construction.
BMC green push in Kolar
On Kolar Road, in front of Swarn Jayanti Park, BMC is installing protective grills around saplings along the six-lane central verge to protect them from stray cattle. The area is part of a planned green corridor project with an estimated budget of ₹9 crore. The initiative aims to plant over 15,000 saplings along the stretch.
Call for accountability
“The contrast between proactive greening efforts and unauthorised deforestation highlights the urgent need for stricter oversight and accountability in urban planning and environmental protection, ”said activist Umakant Tiwari.
Official assurance
BMC executive engineer Pramod Malviya said grills are being installed to safeguard newly planted saplings along Kolar Road’s central verge. “The project will be completed soon,” he said.
