Indore: The forest department on Thursday issued notices to range officer, deputy range officer and beat guards at Choral range seeking explanation on illegal felling of around 200 trees for laying an underground electricity line in the region.The work was carried out in Talai and Baigram area falling within Choral range. The work of laying electric lines is part of Narmada-Gambhir link project.“Reply has been sought from the officers within seven days. The felling of trees was reported in Choral forests in the first week of March after which an investigation was done into the matter. The trees were of all varieties including Sagwan, Sheesham, Anjan etc.” SDO (forest) RN Saksena said.The work of laying underground electricity lines had been awarded by government to a private contractor company. The permission granted to the company was for clearing 10m of forest land for which compensatory measures had also been undertaken by them. However, the contractor company cleared 15m of forest land for laying the lines.The matter was investigated in the second week of March, following which notices were first issued to private company and now forest officers have been sent show cause notice. Range officer BS Mourya had been posted at Choral range, when the felling was reported. Following that, he has been transferred to other range.According to the procedure, the trees that are sanctioned to be cut are marked by the forest department. After the trees are cut, their clumps are once again marked. The fallen trees had neither of the marks.

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