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Several trees in IIT Mandi cut down for safe landing of President Mukherjee, says Facebook post

A message condemning the act is being circulated on Facebook by the students.

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Image of a tree cut off in IIT Mandi
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Various lush, ancient trees were chopped down on Friday in IIT Mandi for the safe arrival of President Pranab Mukherjee. The President is scheduled to arrive in IIT Mandi in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday for inaugural of the institute's convocation ceremony. According to a Facebook message posted by a student, state authorities have shorn off many old trees surrounding the institute's helipad ground for an easy and safe landing of the President.

 The institute is situated in Himachal Pradesh and is surrounded by lush-green trees. The public message which is being circulated on Facebook claims that the "trees were around 50 to 100 years old" and were axed down to "avoid any security threat".

The Facebook post stated:

Since this ground has facilitated many high profile visits to the city in the past as well, including P V Narsimha Rao, Sonia Gandhi, state Chief Ministers and most recently Mr. Narendra Modi, it is beyond comprehension, as to why they were cut down for the President’s visit. At a time when concerns regarding environment are already at the most pressing level, the impact of this “cutting-syndrome” is beyond imagination. These trees were not cut down for any social welfare or development program, rather due to some inflated security concerns for the VVIP. We all welcome the honourable President, but not on the cost of the Nature. The trees which took years to grow, acting as the hills vanguards for so many decades were fell down within hours, and for what? Just for two hour long presidential visit? Is this at all justified?

The student also compiled a Facebook page titled 'Save Trees' to spread awareness about the issue. The message posted by him urged people to change their profile pictures to an image of a cut-down tree in IIT Mandi.

Check the page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-Trees/812861595461350?fref=nf

The post further stated:

This first experience which we witnessed so closely led us to imagine the number of trees falling every year in the name of these ceremonious visits. This shocking incident has forced us to speak out and make an attempt to gather some support to save trees, so that any insanity of this kind by the state administration could be prevented in future. But since this would be a long journey starting with a RTI application to the district administration, asking them to provide the details relating to this barbarous act, and on the basis of their reply the matter would be later taken up with the National Green Tribunal of India. Let us not allow our sensitiveness and responsibility towards the environment to be CHOPPED DOWN!

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