MP High Court Stays Tree Felling In Bhopal; Summons Senior Officials For 'Destroying Vegetation'

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday (November 20), prohibited the State Government from cutting, pruning or transporting trees in the entire area of Bhopal in any manner without the prior permission of the court. Expressing strong concerns, the court observed that the State authorities do not appear "interested in protecting or transplanting any tree but are in a rampant manner cutting and destroying the entire vegetation which is coming in the way of alleged development". The division bench Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf issued these directions while hearing a suo motu petition over a news report published in the Times of India, according to which the Public Works Department (PWD) had allegedly felled 488 trees without taking the requisite permissions. As per the report, the central bench of NGT had asked the state government to constitute a committee with respect to the consideration of felling of trees for the construction of a stadium and road broadening at Neelbad.Earlier, the court had directed the PWD to file an affidavit indicating the number of trees that had been felled for the project and how many trees were further sought to be felled. It noted that out of the 448 trees proposed for translocation, 253 had already been 'transplanted', according to the State's affidavit.The court also sought clarification on the existence of a Tree Plantation Policy, which the State's affidavit confirmed does not exist. On Thursday, the Amicus Curiae highlighted that despite the court's orders directing that no tree shall be cut or pruned except with permission granted by the 9-member Committee or the Tree Officer under the Madhya Pradesh Protection of Trees Act (Urban), 2001, a further 244 trees were proposed to be cut in Bhopal for the construction of residential complexes. Counsel for intervenors also submitted a Dainik Bhaskar news report of November 20, 2025, revealing that authorities had adopted a novel approach of felling trees under the pretext of shifting them. Per the report, officers claimed that since obtaining permission for cutting trees was difficult, they planned to label the activity as 'transportation', for which no permission was required. The court took serious note of the photographs placed on record, which showed that the transplantation process involved "complete stripping of the tree of all its branches and leaves and planting the tree trunk at an alternate place". The bench also referred to a communication of October 30, 2025, between the Executive Engineer, Vidhan Sabha Building Controller and the Principal Secretary, Vidhan Sabha Secretariat. The letter acknowledged that several trees obstructing the construction of a residential complex had to be 'shifted', resulting in a large-scale branch and accumulation of wood and sought permission to utilise this wood. The court observed, "The above letter clearly shows that the respondents are not in any manner trying to protect or transplant any tree, however, in the process of cutting trees and as many as 244 trees are sought to be cut. Clearly, it appears that respondents are not interested in protecting or transplanting any tree but are in a rampant manner cutting and destroying the entire vegetation which is coming in the way of alleged development". The court also noted a reference to another Dainik Bhaskar report of November 17, 2025, stating that 8000 trees were being felled in Bhopal for a railway project. The bench also summoned the following officer to appear on the next date of hearing;Ajay Shrivastava, Executive Engineer, PWD, Under Secretary, Vidhan Sabha SecretariateAdministrative Officer-cum-under Secretary, Vidhan Sabha SecretariateCommissioner, Municipal Corporation, BhopalPrincipal Chief Conservator of Forest The Principal Secretary, Vidhan Sabha Secretariate, BhopalGeneral Manager, West Central RailwaysThe case was listed for November 26, 2025. Case Title: In reference (suo motu) v State [WP-42565-2025]Click here to read/download the Order

MP High Court Stays Tree Felling In Bhopal; Summons Senior Officials For 'Destroying Vegetation'

Jayanti Pahwa

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