Calcutta, July 9: Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee might have been upset yesterday to find large branches chopped off trees near Camac Street, but there is no law to prevent such devastation in non-forest areas.

Branches are often cut before festivals, neighbourhood soirees or if they grow big enough to encroach upon a house or cover traffic signals. And in most cases, it is done without taking care that the trees are protected.

Last year, the West Bengal Pollution Control Board started framing guidelines after receiving applications seeking permission to trim branches. The forest department’s urban and recreational forestry division came up with a set of guidelines, too.

“We don’t have any exclusive law to guide people on this. However, we go by these guidelines while giving permission for pruning on receiving applications. But there is a huge difference between a law and a set of guidelines,” said Shyamal Sarkar, member-secretary of the pollution control board.

With a meagre staff strength, it is difficult for the board to keep track whether the guidelines are being followed, he added. Besides, in most cases, the people and organisations concerned do not even seek permission before chopping off branches.

“The guidelines were prepared to lay down a set of scientific methods to be followed during pruning but (they) cannot act as statutory obligations,” said Rakesh Sinha, chief conservator of forests (social forestry).

Yesterday, the chief minister, on his way to Writers’ Buildings, had spotted the shorn trees along Albert Road, off Camac Street, and called newly-elected mayor Bikash Bhattacharya to inquire.

Referring to the incident, Sarkar says the Calcutta Municipal Corporation had not approached the board for permission.

The main problem is that labourers assigned the work of pruning trees are often asked to take away the branches instead of money, Sinha said. “As a result, labourers cut as much as they want, because more and thicker branches mean more money.”

Environment activist Subhas Dutta said though the government has prepared the West Bengal (Protection of Trees in Non-Forest Areas) Act, it is yet to be enacted. In April 2003, Calcutta High Court had directed the government to ensure enactment within six weeks, but it is still pending.

The guiding force now is a Green Bench order of 1998, which put an embargo on cutting trees and designated a high-powered committee to form guidelines. However, awareness on this is very poor, and there is an urgent need for an act, Dutta said.