Bhubaneswar: After protest by green lovers and a PIL in Orissa High Court against felling of hundreds of trees for construction of apartments for MLAs in Odisha capital, now children have come out to express their opposition in a creative way.
A good number of children turned up to participate in a drawing competition on environment and benefits of trees, organised by Mahanadi Banchao Andolan, Samrudha Odisha and Prerana in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The competition was organised as part of protest against chopping of trees on the stretch from Rabindra Mandap to Commissionerate Police headquarters for the proposed multi-storey apartment for the legislators.
While the children were found drawing the pictures with interest, the organisers will present awards to them for their participation in environment cause.
Meanwhile, members of Prerana International Green Army have submitted a memorandum with 4-point charter of demands to Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal. They have demanded immediate halt to felling of trees for the project in MLA Colony, large scale plantation of trees in Bhubaneswar and its surrounding areas to compensate for felled trees, creation of a 50-metre green corridor around the city and a law on trees like New Delhi.
It may be noted that a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in Orissa High Court on Wednesday, seeking a halt to the tree cutting spree for the construction of apartments for the MLAs.
The petitioner, social activist Jayanti Das, has sought the court’s direction to save trees from being axed. The state and Central governments and eight others have been made parties in the PIL, which also prayed for adequate compensation for the trees already felled.
On Tuesday, several social organisations, former MPs, MLAs and bureaucrats, green activists and city residents staged a demonstration at the construction site to protest against the felling of hundreds of trees.
The Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) is cutting the trees as per the requisition of Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC), which is executing the Rs 275-crore project. The Forest department has given permission to cut down 870 trees against a deposit of Rs 68 lakh towards compensation, sources said.
