The Haryana Forest Department has registered a forest offence report (FOR) against the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) for causing extensive damage to trees under the guise of “pruning” at Mahavir Chowk, officials said.
Event Context
Forest department officials said they inspected the spot after they were informed about the incident and found that at least four trees were illegally damaged, following which the offence report was lodged.
Surinder Dangi, divisional forest officer (DFO), said the Punjab and Haryana High Court earlier this year imposed a blanket statewide ban, ruling that no trees can be felled or harmed in Haryana without prior judicial permission.
Team Analysis
She added that teams across Gurugram have been carrying out pruning and removal of excess vegetation to improve visibility and enhance road safety. GMDA is also conducting plantation drives, under which it will plant 945,000 shrubs, 50,000 trees and 5,000 bamboo saplings, Sharma said.
Match Outlook
“While no trees were felled, unauthorised damage was caused to them through excessive and improper cutting, following which the offence report was registered. Further action will be taken as per procedure,” Dangi said.
In April, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the felling of over 5,000 trees for the Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass project, directed that no trees could be felled anywhere in Haryana without its prior permission.
Dangi added that the court’s directions are binding across the state. “Following the high court’s order, no authority is permitted to cut or fell trees without obtaining prior permission from the court,” he said.
Neha Sharma, GMDA spokesperson, told HT that greening and landscape improvement works are currently underway at Mahavir Chowk. During site cleaning activities, a few branches were inadvertently broken. “The trees remained unharmed and no tree has been damaged or felled,” she said.
