The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dealt a major setback to the Punjab government by imposing a complete ban on tree cutting without prior court approval across the state. The order was passed while hearing petitions related to large-scale felling of trees for development projects, especially in Mohali.
A Division Bench led by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjeev Berry directed the state to immediately stop all tree cutting activities unless specific permission is granted by the court. The Bench also asked the Punjab government to file a detailed reply explaining the circumstances under which trees were being felled.
The directions came after Mohali residents Praneet Kaur and Shubh Sekhon filed public interest litigations. They raised concerns over the diversion of protected forest land and mass tree cutting for infrastructure works. One petition highlighted a proposal to cut 251 trees for the construction of three traffic roundabouts at key junctions in Sectors 67, 68, 79 and 80, including the busy PR-7 road near Sohana.
The court noted that tenders for auctioning 251 trees had already been issued, with felling beginning just days before the matter reached court. Taking serious note, the Bench referred to official data showing Punjab’s forest cover stands at only 3.67 percent. The court stressed that environmental protection cannot be compromised in the name of development.
