Green trees felled in Himachal's Solan, forest mafia active: Locals

About 40 to 50 green trees have allegedly been felled illegally in a village on the periphery of the Solan town in Himachal Pradesh and the locals have registered a complaint on CM's helpline.

The residents of the Badkhor village of Shamti panchayat also informed the Forest Department officials and questioned how green trees in such a large number were felled without permission in a village just five to six km away from the town.

''The forest mafia is becoming active in the area and two days ago, 40 to 50 trees were felled, and when the Forest Department was informed, the officials said that action would be taken,'' said Naresh Mehta, a native of the village on Thursday.

The main question is how so many trees could be felled without permission from the competent authorities and stringent action should be taken against the offenders, he demanded.

When contacted on phone, panchayat president Shamti Lata and forest guard Bipin said that after receiving the complaint, spot inspection was conducted and strict action would be taken against the accused.

Bipin said there are two or three private plots but as per the rules, only three trees can be axed on private land but more than 50 trees have been felled and a probe is underway.

''We are waiting to see what action is taken by the government as it is a serious matter,'' villagers said.