Chandigarh Feb 7: To ‘balance’ urban development with environmental conservation, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has partially relaxed an interim ban on tree felling in Mohali. While the court cleared the way for GMADA to complete traffic rotaries at critical junctions, it moved to protect decades-old trees at a commercial construction site in Sector 62.
The bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry acted on a series of public interest petitions. After reviewing commission reports, the court decided that the 41 trees standing on the boundary of a proposed mall site must be preserved. The judges noted that while some trees in the centre of the development were unavoidable for removal, those on the periphery must remain standing.
“Compensatory plantation be done by respondent–GMADA, in lieu of the trees which have been cut and removed on the site of proposed rotaries, to the extent of ten times the trees cut and removed,” the bench asserted regarding the environmental safeguards.
The court also addressed the concerns of the farming community by partially relaxing the ban on cutting eucalyptus and poplar trees on private land. This decision comes after submissions noted that these trees are grown specifically for industrial use in the paper and plywood sectors.
The matter is set for further hearing on March 5, by which time both GMADA and the private developer must submit compliance reports regarding their plantation obligations. The court mentioned that these efforts must be documented to ensure the green cover is effectively restored in public spaces and along highways.
