CHANDIGARH, Feb 25: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday weighed a developer’s financial deadlines against environmental preservation, asking whether a commercial venue or the nature was more significant. A Bench headed by Chief Justice Nagu raised the query while hearing a plea from a developer seeking to fell 67 trees despite a statewide stay on such activities.
The developer requested a modification of the court’s December 24, 2025, order, which halted all tree-felling across Punjab without explicit judicial permission. The counsel for the petitioner maintained that permission had been secured and a fee of ₹7 lakh was deposited under an afforestation scheme prior to the blanket stay.
“You have to decide, you have to tell us — which is more important?” the Bench remarked after the counsel pressed for an urgent hearing. The court’s stance comes amid an ongoing effort to protect the state’s green cover from rapid industrial and commercial expansion.
The petitioner’s counsel asserted that the project, registered as an MSME, had already utilized a loan exceeding ₹2 crore. He stated that the business was scheduled to commence operations by February 28, 2026, as per the terms of the bank’s sanction letter.
“My source of revenue generation would be cut and my account would be declared as NPA in case I do not start my business operations,” the counsel submitted. Despite the plea for an urgent listing before the month’s end, the matter has yet to be scheduled for a further hearing.
