In a landmark ruling to curb unchecked deforestation the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed that no trees whether on private or government land can be cut without prior approval from divisional forest officers (DFOs). The order, issued by a bench of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad, applies to all non-forest areas across Haryana, including land owned by individuals, municipal bodies, public institutions, or companies.
The tribunal decision came while hearing a plea filed by Sukhbir Singh from Rohtak, who objected to the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) cutting nearly 1,000 trees for development projects in Sector 6, Rohtak.
Recognising the absence of a proper legal framework to regulate tree felling outside forest zones, the bench said the situation demanded immediate intervention. “Incidents of illegal felling of trees in non-forest rural and urban areas are increasing in Haryana,” the order stated. “While creating a comprehensive legal framework will take time, action to address the environmental damage caused by illegal felling cannot be deferred.”
Under the interim framework, applicants seeking to fell trees must submit detailed information about the land, the number and type of trees, and the reasons for cutting. The DFO must then inspect the site and decide within 90 days. If permission is granted, it will come with a condition of compensatory plantation at least three indigenous trees for every one cut and the planted trees must be protected for five years.
Any illegal felling or failure to replant will attract environmental compensation equivalent to the timber’s value and the cost of planting and maintaining three trees, recoverable as arrears of land revenue.
The NGT invoked Sections 14, 15, and 20 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, allowing it to apply the principles of sustainable development, precautionary action, and the polluter pays doctrine. Copies of the order have been sent to the chief secretary, principal chief conservator of forests, and all district magistrates for immediate implementation.
This order builds upon the NGT 2022 ruling in Green Earth vs Deputy Commissioner, Kurukshetra, which had directed Haryana to develop a mechanism for regulating tree felling outside forest areas. With no such system yet in place, the tribunal has now made DFO approval mandatory statewide.
“This is a long-overdue step,” said environmentalist Vaishali Rana. “Haryana has lost countless trees in non-forest zones because there was no clarity on monitoring or permissions. Making DFO approval compulsory fills a crucial policy gap that should have been addressed years ago.”