The story of the implementation of the Qazvin city belt project and the threat of the destruction of part of the Qazvin orchard has been a concern of ecological lovers and environmental experts for many years. The project, which is supposed to pass through the heart of the orchard under the pretext of road construction and traffic reduction, is a severe danger to the registered trees in this area. The concerns more so since in mid June this year, several fertile and old trees in this area were destroyed and sacrificed.
In this regard one of the members of the specialized association of the traditional Qazvin Garden says: “Complaints from the Cultural Heritage Department about cutting down the garden trees are useless; instead, all the city officials should be transparent about this mishap and find a new route for the Imam Reza bridge.
According to ISNA, the construction of bridges and roads from the heart of Qazvin Garden has been endangering the registered trees of this garden for years under the pretext of reducing traffic. The biggest danger todate has been construction of the Imam Reza Bridge, which has encountered many protests for damaging the trees of this garden. As a result Qazvin High Council for urban construction and architecture approved a bill in 1398 (2019) in which it is clearly indicated that the Imam Reza Bridge should not pass through the garden and another route should be determined instead. Despite this resolution, Qazvin Municipality has been carrying out this project more speedily than ever.
About two months ago Saeed Zarepour, a cultural heritage activist in qazvin, cited evidence of construction of Imam Reza Bridge through the garden. He reported to Isna: “Tools and equipment can be seen on the outskirts of the city, which indicates that measures are to be taken to continue the construction of the Imam Reza Bridge, but since the officials are not transparent, we are not able to confirm, but it is quite clear that the first steps for implementing this project have been taken.”
It was not long before these statements that a group of executives of the city belt project took advantage of the mid-June holiday and at around 2 am on Saturday, June 4, 2022, they attacked the fertile and old trees of Qazvin garden with a bulldozer and other municipality equipment, and brought them down. However, operation was stopped by the overnight order of the public prosecutor and the strong protest of the governor of Qazvin. The operation also provoked strong protest from the director general of cultural heritage of Qazvin province, and the director-general of this department also announced the filing of a complaint in this regard.
The Qazvin Public Prosecutor and Revolutionary Council also confirmed the registration of the complaint of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Qazvin Province as the primary custodian of the traditional garden in the judiciary. But, heritage lovers consider the complaint from Cultural Heritage Department superficial and believe that the general directorate of cultural heritage, tourism, and Qazvin handicrafts Organization have also contributed to this tragedy. They believe there are ambiguities about the alternative route, which the Qazvin supreme council of architecture is talking about, and that this new route should be known to the public.
Following this incident, Shokouh Kermanshahi, a member of the board of directors of the Qazvin traditional garden association told ISNA: “There is no justification for cutting down all these trees, and city officials are responsible for that has happened. They should answer why again the garden trees have been sacrificed. Qazvin City Council claims that they have the approval to continue the operation and cut down the trees. While, according to the December 2019 resolution of the Supreme Council of Urban Planning and Architecture the route of Imam Reza Bridge has to be corrected and get close to the already existing road, so that there is not the least interference with the garden area.
He added: “The approval of this new route has been assigned to a committee, most of whose members are provincial officials, including the governor, road and urban development, municipality and cultural heritage and handicrafts (representative of the ministry).” If, according to their claims, the alternative route is on the same part where the trees have been cut and this same route has been approved by the officials, then what does the complaint of the cultural heritage department mean? And, if the alternative route has yet not been approved, then why are the trees been cut down?
Kermanshahani emphasized: Now, we ask the officials for transparency. If an alternative route has been defined for the continuation of Imam Reza Bridge, let this alternative route be made known to everyone and announce who has approved this route, for which so many trees have been sacrificed. As the next step, these officials will be called to a meeting to explain about this alternative route and its dangers for the garden.
