02/13/98 - 1605

Deforestation Upsets Inhabitants Of Vrindavan

Vrindavan, India (VNN) - Last week, in the name of cleaning the area from Keshi Ghat to Durgapuram for the Kumbha Mela, over 500 trees were cut in Vrindavan. 278 Fully grown trees were felled, mainly Babul trees, but many Pipal, Shisham and Nim trees as well. Another 247 premature guava trees privately planted by one landlord were chopped. These trees were about 2 years old. 300 Trees out of these figures were premature trees, planted by the WWF in the years 1993 up to 1997. They were protected by iron tree guards, the property of WWF which were also destroyed and stolen from the area.

The persons held responsible for this crime against Krishna’s ‘prembhoomi ‘ are the Secretary of the M.V.D.A. (Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority), Mr. A.K. Singh, the Chairman of the Vrindavan Municipality , Mr. Laxmi Narayan Pathak and the contractor who actually felled the trees, Mr. Man Mohan Pathak.

On February the 5th, after being alerted by WWF an investigation team from the Forest Department in Lucknow came to inspect and report the damage that had been done. Mr. J.S. Asthana, the chief conservator of the Forest Department of this area, Mr. M.P. Singh, the district's Forest Department officer, and 15 of their staff members counted 234 tree stumps left behind in the earth. The roots of the younger trees could be pulled out easily and therefore this evidence was removed.

This action has created a great dissatisfaction and shock in the community, but according to a written letter from Maheshanand Swami to Sri Sewak Sharan , director of the WWF-Vrindavan, these "unuseful trees" were cut solely for the purpose of clearing and levelling the area to make way for the Kumbh.

This excuse is not believed by the people who know that these very scared trees of Vraj give shade, fruit and pleasure and in no way did they interfer with the Kumbh site, on the contrary the site is now a wasteland devoid of trees and shrubs.

In disgust and in protest against the perpetrators of this crime Sri Ram Prasad Gautam, a municipal Councillor resigned from his post.