The Madhya Pradesh High Court widened its focus on tree felling during a hearing on Wednesday. What began as a case centered on Bhopal expanded to Sagar after reports emerged that about 1000 trees were cut inside the Sagar Collector’s office premises. The court asked the district administration to explain who approved the work and how many trees were removed. The next hearing is on December 17.
Chief Justice Sanjiv Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf examined details placed before them by state officials, civic bodies and the railways. The judges said the pattern of large-scale cutting was “direct destruction of the green cover” and could not be termed development. The court kept its existing ban on cutting, pruning or transporting any tree in Bhopal without its permission.
Seven senior officials attended the hearing. The general manager of the West Central Railway was absent, and the Bhopal divisional railway manager appeared in his place.
Court Rejects State’s Claim of ‘Transplanted’ Trees
State lawyers said 112 of the 244 trees removed in Bhopal had been re-established. They submitted photographs to support this claim. The judges examined the pictures and raised serious questions. The court said, “With such transplants, trees do not survive, they die. Tell the name of the officer who called it transplantation.” The bench stated that cutting a 50 or 60-year-old tree cannot be offset by planting a new sapling.
During this discussion, it emerged that the authority to permit tree felling had been delegated from senior officers to junior staff, despite NGT rules. The court called this a clear violation.
The bench also reviewed the reports of 8000 trees cut for a Vande Bharat train shed in Bhopal. Railway officials said only 435 acacia trees were removed and argued that these trees were not on the protected list. The judges asked the railways to submit written guidelines if they believed permission was not required. Time was granted to file the documents.
New details from Sagar shifted part of the hearing’s focus. Reports suggested that about 1000 trees were cut inside the Collector’s office campus. The court made sharp remarks and said officials who approve such actions “should stay in polluted states for a few days.” The bench added that Madhya Pradesh still has cleaner air and losing more trees would weaken that advantage. A notice was issued to the Sagar Collector seeking full details.
Concerns Over Tree Cutting on Private Land
A petition by Nitin Saxena claimed that trees on private land were being cut without checks. The court asked the state if a person can freely cut a 50 or 60-year-old banyan tree on private property. It then asked all departments linked to the case to file affidavits.
These affidavits must list how many trees were cut, how many were shifted and how many remain. The age and species of each transplanted tree must also be included. Departments must outline the areas where new trees will be planted to restore lost green cover.
The hearing also covered a suo motu case based on a Times of India report. The report said the Public Works Department had cut 488 trees in Neelbad for a stadium and road project without securing permissions. The court had earlier asked the PWD to file a full count of trees cut or listed for removal.
During Wednesday’s arguments, the state said media reports overstated the scale of cutting and argued that the trees were in urban sections, not forests. The state said a high-powered committee was formed in September as directed by the NGT. The bench noted that no clearance was taken from this committee before the cutting began.
The court directed every department involved to submit verified data. The reports must show the number of trees already cut, the number still proposed for felling and the specific locations for relocation or plantation. The bench also asked for plans meant to rebuild the lost green cover across the affected project areas.
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