Chief Secy told to enact urban tree protection laws in 6 months

In a major development regarding environmental governance, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Chief Secretary of Punjab KAP Sinha to formulate strict and effective legislation for the protection of urban trees across the state within six months.

The directive came during a recent hearing on the city's P&T Colony tree cutting case, where the NGT expressed strong displeasure over the absence of a legal framework to safeguard trees in urban areas.

The tribunal had earlier summoned the Chief Secretary for a personal appearance, underscoring the gravity of the matter.

During the hearing, he assured the court that the state government is committed to increasing its green cover but acknowledged the current legislative vacuum. He sought a six-month period to draft comprehensive laws aimed at preserving urban trees.

The petition was filed by Tejasvi Minhas, a city-based social activist, who criticised the state's existing Tree Preservation Policy for Non-Forest Government and Public Lands 2024 as ineffective. Minhas highlighted several shortcomings in the policy, including the absence of a mechanism for public complaints, the lack of a tree census, unscientific tree cutting practices by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), no provision for compensatory plantation after trees are felled due to storms and rampant concretisation of tree bases by real estate developers to facilitate the removal.

Minhas argued that the state's lack of seriousness was evident in its failure to implement meaningful measures for urban tree protection.

The tribunal has listed the next hearing in the case for October 8 by which time the Chief Secretary is expected to present progress on the new legal framework.

Environmentalists have hailed the NGT’s order as a crucial step towards halting the ongoing decline of green cover in Punjab’s urban centres.