GURUGRAM: The Haryana govt has proposed a policy on tree felling on non-forest land across the state that does away with the need for permission in urban areas on plots acquired or allotted by govt bodies for residential, industrial, or infrastructure development.
Currently, the forest department’s approval is needed for tree felling.
The policy is proposed to supersede all previous orders related to tree felling outside of forests, even if those areas are notified under Section 3 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900. The govt also plans to form a committee to formulate the final policy and revise compensation for illegal tree felling.
The policy emphasises preservation of indigenous plants of ecological significance, including peepal, bargard, gulhar, pilkhan, khejari, barna, krishan kadam, jaal, and rohida, but proposes to exempt trees such as eucalyptus, poplar, bakayan, ullu neem, sahtoot, amrood, bamboo, subabool and mesquite, from requiring permission if they are standing outside forest areas.
Additionally, unproductive fruit trees in orchards can be felled without obtaining permission if farmers want to replace them with high-density and high-yielding varieties.
Under the new proposal, tree cutting in privately owned land will require authorisation of divisional forest officers (DFOs), but permission will not be required for felling of trees like eucalyptus, poplar, bakayan and ullu neem among others in such properties.
“The state govt plans to constitute a committee too to finalise the policy and revise compensation measures for illegal tree felling. It’s a proactive step towards sustainable environmental management, aiming at protecting the state’s natural heritage,” said Subhash Yadav, chief conservator of forest, South Haryana.
The state govt had come up with a policy in 2006 to achieve 20% forest and tree cover. But it couldn’t meet the target.
A Forest Survey of India data released in 2024 has revealed a concerning trend, with Haryana’s forest cover decreasing by 13.9 sq km between 2021 and 2023. Gurgaon’s total forest area now stands at 113.1 sq km.
In Haryana, a total of 8.2% (3.6 lakh ha) of the total geographical area underwent desertification between 2018 and 2019, according to Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas, 2021.
At the same time, urban clusters such as Gurgaon and Faridabad have rapidly expanded to accommodate houses, businesses, roads, and other infrastructure.
For instance, 5,000 trees were felled to make way for flyovers and underpasses on NH-8 in the city in 2017, and a year later, authorisation was granted to remove 10,000 trees in order to widen Sohna road.
Unlike Delhi, Haryana does not have a Tree Act of its own. The Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, prohibits felling of trees.
It also mandates that every person must deposit Rs 34,500 with the forest department and plant 10 saplings for cutting one tree after permission is granted.
Such legislation to protect trees has been discussed earlier in Haryana, but hasn’t been enacted.
Experts said the new policy will impact tree cover across the state adversely.
“It seems from a bare reading of the proposal, the purpose is to deregulate tree felling in urban areas of Haryana,” said Chetan Aggarwal, forest analyst.
The state has, however, commenced giving heritage tags — called Pran Vayu Devta — that provides a pension to tree owners for conservation of trees over 75 years of age.
So far, 3,876 trees across the state have received heritage status.
The Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) is developing a mobile application for plant growers to document the trees grown on their plots along with identifying the carbon sequestration potential.
Carbon sequestration potential is the capacity to capture and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and other sources.
This process can reduce the greenhouse effect and slow climate change.
The database will be valuable for assessing the raw material availability and sustainability of the wood-based industry.
