The Haryana government has proposed a stricter legal framework to protect trees outside forest areas, making prior permission mandatory for felling green trees and requiring plantation of 10 trees for every tree cut. The proposed Haryana Preservation of Trees Act, 2026, also provides for a penalty of ₹ 10,000 per tree, environmental compensation and a minimum three-month imprisonment for failure to pay the prescribed dues.
“Trees are essential for maintaining ecological balance and improving air quality. Through this legislation, we want to ensure that development does not come at the cost of our green cover. Applications relating to fallen green trees will have to be decided within three days. If no decision is taken within the stipulated period, the application will automatically be forwarded to the appellate authority, saidprincipal chief conservator of forests (HoFF), Haryana The government will also have the power to prohibit the felling of a particular tree or class of trees for a specified period in the public interest, the draft suggests. Tree cover is defined as all tree patches of a size less than one hectare occurring outside the recorded forest area.
The requirement of 10 compensatory trees for every tree felled will help strengthen the state’s efforts towards environmental conservation,” Singh said. The Tree Officer will be required to decide applications within 30 days. Haryana’s tree cover was reduced by 140 sq km, according to Forest Survey of India 2021. In Haryana, the tree cover for the 2021 assessment was 1,425 sq km, which was 1,565 sq km in 2019.
Forest and Wildlife Minister Rao Narbir Singh said the legislation reflects the government’s commitment to protecting Haryana’s green cover, particularly in ecologically sensitive areas such as the Aravallis. Seen by HT, applications for tree-felling permission will have to be submitted through the Forest and Wildlife Department’s online portal on the Haryana e-Seva platform, according to the proposed draft.
