Former Chief Minister and Amritsar MP Capt Amarinder Singh today warned against the indiscriminate cutting of trees in Amritsar in the name of road widening and setting up of Bus Rapid Transport System.“I am not against the development and widening of roads, but I am definitely not going to allow the indiscriminate slaughter of trees in Amritsar some of which are as old as 200 years”, he said in a statement while referring to the cutting of trees in the city.He said, proper procedure must be adopted with due clearances from concerned departments like the forests and the environment.
Capt Amarinder said, the authorities must ensure that they plant at least as many trees as they cut at the alternate places as is the standard practice everywhere. “I have seen several trees having been chopped off in the name of road widening when these could easily have be saved and retained”, he said, adding, "we can't allow wanton slaughter of our trees in the holy city".The Amritsar MP appreciated the concern of the city residents about the green cover that was being tonsured off from the city in the name of development while no new trees were planted.He said, hundreds of trees were earlier cut in the name of Personal Rapid Transport System which never saw light of the day and now same was being done in the name of Bus Rapid Transport System, which nobody was sure whether it will ever reach its logical conclusion.Capt Amarinder warned if proper norms are not followed he will move the court. “We cannot afford and allow Amritsar to be denuded of its green cover”, he made it categorically clear.