Mattewara Forest Punjab: Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urging him to save the Mattewara forest on the banks of the Sutlej in Ludhiana district. He also called for "concrete steps" to increase the state's forest cover from the current 3.67% to 33%, which is "at par with other states".
In his letter, the Speaker said that several civil society organizations have written to him complaining that the previous governments have repeatedly ignored his pleas, due to which the destruction of Mattewara forest and pollution of the Sutlej water seemed inevitable.
Sandhwan said that after the issue was raised in the recent Punjab Assembly session, the CM had assured that chemical-producing industries would not be allowed in the area. Calling upon the Chief Minister to take strong steps, the Speaker said that it would show the sensitivity of the Aam Aadmi Party government, which has been chosen keeping in mind the voice of the common man, which is concerned with the health and safety of the public is of environment and ecology.