Mohali tree felling: The illegal felling of trees in Mohali’s Sector 63 (Phase 9) sparked widespread anger among residents, who condemned and documented the incident, and sent the photographs to the Mohali Municipal Corporation on Monday. According to the locals, the incident took place near houses numbered HL-611 to HL-617. Under the pretext of trimming, the trees beyond the boundary walls were heavily pruned and chopped, they said. The residents claimed that the larger branches were loaded on a private vehicle and taken away. The environmental activists and others among those protesting, sent the photographs to the MC officials and also shared them on social media. Locals questioned the open violation despite the Municipal body’s campaign to promote greenery and protect the environment. Attempts to contact the Municipal Commissioner remained unsuccessful, the residents said. However, Chief Engineer Naresh Batta confirmed that the matter had been brought to his notice. “No permission was granted by the Mohali Municipal Corporation for the tree cutting,” Batta said. He also said, “This act is completely illegal, and a team will inspect the site. Strict action will be taken against those responsible.” The incident raises serious concerns about the implementation of the MC’s environmental policy and highlights a lack of on-ground supervision, which could allow such violations to recur.
