Hey there, Pune peeps! Looks like a big international tractor and agri-equipment company is in hot water with the Maharashtra State Forest Department. They’ve been hit with a hefty ₹7 lakh fine for not properly relocating 14 trees at their Sanaswadi facility. Ouch!
Apparently, back in June 2023, this company got the green light to chop down 510 trees and move another 236 to make room for a plant expansion. They even promised to follow all the rules and regulations by submitting a bond. But fast forward to September 2024, and it seems they didn’t quite stick to the plan.
A complaint was made accusing the company of not moving the 14 trees as required. Instead, they allegedly cut them down and buried them under a tar road to hide the evidence. Sneaky, huh?
Forest department officials did some digging (literally) and found the remains of 12 neem trees and 2 ficus trees under that tar. Not a good look for the company. The department issued notices to the company’s manager and a few employees, asking for an explanation. But despite the evidence, the company denied any wrongdoing.
Now, they’re facing not just the fine but also an investigation into possible violations of the Wildlife Protection Act. It turns out those trees were home to some special owls and other scheduled species. Yikes!
The company has 15 days to cough up the cash, or they’ll have a big black mark against their property. Let this be a lesson to all – messing with Mother Nature never ends well. Stay tuned for more updates on this tree-mendous tale!
Thanks For Reading Report of Punepress.com