Old banyan tree near temple felled

RAWALPINDI:

Dozens of birds were left homeless on Friday after someone chopped off parts of an old banyan tree in Rawalpindi. Muhammad Abid, an inspector with the Evacuee Property Trust, told the Jatli police that someone had chopped off around 35 to 40 mounds of wood from a banyan tree located in the grounds of an old temple in Mouza Nadali in Gujjar Khan. The tree was home to dozens of birds who tried to find shelter in its felled branches later. Police subsequently registered a case against the culprit, Babar Mumtaz, for theft and damage to property. They then arrested the suspect and recovered timber from his possession. Meanwhile, forest and environment experts have also started an investigation into the incident to assess the damage done to the banyan tree and take steps to restore it, police said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2020.