Centre seeks UP's response for felling trees without clearance

The Centre has asked Uttar Pradesh to respond to a report on large-scale felling of trees without forest ministry's clearance in Noida and Lucknow and some other places, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

The matter was raised by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who wanted to know if the government was aware of it and the action taken on cutting down of "dense forests."

He, however, did not directly refer to the Mayawati government's project to set up parks and memorials in vast tracts of land in the state in the recent past.

In reply, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said the Centre had taken note of the reports and sent an investigation team led by the Lucknow-based Chief Conservator of Forests.

The team in its report noted that environment and forest clearance had not been taken for the projects, he said.

Ramesh said the report has been sent to the State government for its response before deciding the next action.

The Minister said it was "highly inappropriate" to say that the Centre was a mute spectator to the felling of trees, as charged by Yadav.