Illegal felling of trees sparks outrage in Dinhata

Cooch Behar: A total of 27 trees were illegally cut down along the eastern periphery of the Dinhata Sanghati Maidan on Thursday evening in Dinhata, Cooch Behar. North Bengal Development Minister and Dinhata MLA Udayan Guha took to his social media account to condemn the unauthorised tree felling. He called for the filing of an FIR against those responsible.

Expressing his concerns about the incident, Minister Guha commented: “Severe action should be taken against those who mar the aesthetics of Dinhata city in this manner. The matter has been discussed with the local administration, and it has been confirmed that a formal complaint has been lodged by the municipality.” Guha assured that strong action will be taken against the offenders.

Prompted by the news, Dinhata Municipality Chairman Gauri Shankar Maheshwari and other officials swiftly arrived at the scene on Thursday night. They too demanded that the culprits be apprehended and subjected to strict penalties. The local police have initiated an investigation into the incident; however, no arrests have been made as yet.

To counter the damage caused, Dinhata Municipality promptly commenced the replanting of trees at the Dinhata Sanghati Maidan on Friday. The Maidan has historically been a site for tree plantation initiatives by various local organisations, dating back to 2012. These trees, tended by concerned groups, had flourished over the years and grown to significant sizes.

However, on Thursday a group of miscreants descended upon the Maidan and illegally felled at least 27 trees. Though the police took prompt action, the wrongdoers managed to escape.