I as the President of SBWS and my team faced a major humiliating, nerve shattering experience on 28th July, when a huge dangerous, almost uprooted tree was being pruned by MCD staff in our block, after due diligence.
After the horrible incident of a huge tree falling in our block on the evening of 15 July, when three electric poles were shattered and live wires fell on the ground, near S 363, our team, took up the matter with the SO of MCD on 17 July, requesting him to prune some dangerous trees in our block, to avoid any life-threatening situations. The SO asked us to click photos, take out prints and send the request to him officially on SBWS letter head.
In the meantime, Hindustan times, carried a big story on 21 July, 23 highlighting the problems being encountered by RWA’s in getting the pruning done.
In response to this news item, after exchange of a few messages, DCF(Hq) sent me a document with 59 slides & highlighting sec 8 of the act,
“As per section 8, of the tree act of 1994, a tree ,which is posing a grave danger to life & property or traffic, if not felled immediately, can be felled immediately by the owner of the land, without permission of tree officer & report the fact to the tree officer within 24 hours of each such felling.”
Our RWA informed the SO on 27th July, enclosing therewith the list of dangerous trees, photos & messages of DCF(HQ).
On the morning of 28th July, MCD team arrived with cutters etc. & a truck to prune the 1st tree near S2.
Just about 20 minutes in to operation, all hell broke loose when some ladies claiming to be from some obscure NGO landed in S Block & stopped the operation demanding to see the permission for cutting the tree. The MCD official told them that everything is being done with due diligence & as per the message of DCH(HQ). However, they started threatening me personally and started abusing me. Heated verbal exchange followed.
Police and forest dept guards were called by the ladies. Ugly mind-boggling experience for a 78-year-old person, doing a good job for the benefit of residents.
By evening with relentless pressure, police complaint was filed against the President. A show cause notice dt. 28 July was issued by the forest dept and what not (Giving permission takes months but a notice was issued within a few hours).
We also filed a police complaint against the rude, obnoxious behavior of a lady and circulated videos of the ladies with abuses being hurled & threatening postures.
Huge condemnation from residents followed, criticizing these ladies, for stopping the Govt departments from doing their job and for hurling filthy abuses at a super senior resident.
Anyway, good sense prevailed, lots of residents and SHO intervened. Letters were exchanged in the presence of Police, regretting the incident and withdrawing the complaints.
However, till the time of going to press, the Show cause notice is still there.
The big question is, why should office bearers of RWA’s be blamed & why should show cause notices be issued, when the job is being done by MCD with due diligence????
Who or which RWA will be willing to shoulder responsibility to undertake such jobs.??? Let the trees fall, accident happen and human lives suffer!
Who bothers?
