The Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 24 ordered that no tree shall be cut in Punjab without its prior permission until further orders [Praneet Kaur v. State of Punjab and Others].

A Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry passed the order on a batch of public interest litigations (PILs) primarily challenging the move to fell 251 trees in Mohali district.

“This Court prohibits the cutting of any tree of any age/specie in the State of Punjab, without permission of this Court, till the next date of hearing,” the Court ordered.

It intervened in respect of the entire state after it was told that the forest cover in Punjab is only 3.67 percent of its geographical area - which is even less than the forest cover of Rajasthan where it stands at 4.8 percent.

"It appears that the functionaries of the State of Punjab are neither serious nor they seem conscious of the impending ecological catastrophe," the Court said.

Considering the data, the Court remarked that drastic remedial measures were required to address the situation.

"It appears that the functionaries of the State of Punjab are neither serious nor they seem conscious of the impending ecological catastrophe," the bench said.

The petitions before the Court stated that tenders have been issued for cutting of 251 trees to make way for construction of roundabout or rotaries on various cross junctions in SAS Nagar, Mohali. 

The Court ordered an immediate stay and asked the government counsel to inform the concerned authorities to immediately stop cutting of trees in Mohali or anywhere else in the State of Punjab. The matter will be heard next on January 19.

Advocates Jatin Bansal, Keerti Sandhu, and Amritpal Sandhu, along with advocates Harlove Singh Rajput, Gursher Singh Dhillon, Harman Bir Singh Juneja, Jashandeep Singh Bains Sakshi Goel, and Satinder Pal Singh appeared for the petitioners.

Deputy Advocate General Salil Sabhlok appeared for the State.

[Read Order]