Illegal felling of trees: Telangana Forest Department fines Gulf Oil Corporation Limited Rs 20 lakh
The fine was issued after officials, responding to public complaints, found large tracts of vegetation had been cleared without proper permission
By Newsmeter Network
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Hyderabad: Telangana Forest Department has imposed a penalty of Rs 20 lakh on Gulf Oil Corporation Limited (GOCL) for illegally felling trees on its premises in Kukatpally.
The fine was issued after officials, responding to public complaints, found large tracts of vegetation had been cleared without proper permission.
Unauthorized action ahead of property sale
According to a press statement, complaints about the "indiscriminate felling of trees" were received about a week ago. Upon investigation, officials discovered that GOCL had cleared the land, likely in preparation for its sale to real estate companies.
District Forest Officer (in-charge) of Medchal-Malkajgiri, Sudhakar Reddy, stated that while the realtors involved had sought permission to cut down the trees, they were only approved for tree translocation.
GOCL, however, proceeded with the clearing without securing any official authorization. The challan for the penalty was paid by the company on Monday.
Strict enforcement of Environmental Laws
This is not the first time the department has taken action against illegal tree felling. Reddy noted that a separate fine of Rs 4 lakh was levied in a similar instance recently.
He emphasized that such acts are a direct violation of the Telangana Water, Land, and Trees Act, 2002, and warned property owners that the department would continue to levy significant penalties to protect the state's green cover.
