Chandigarh: After Carmel incident, now single window approval to fell a tree

The Chandigarh administration stated that a new guideline for felling of trees in Chandigarh has been issued wherein “all the citizens of Chandigarh will have to approach the Administration for all felling or pruning of trees through a single window system which will be developed by Chandigarh Smart City Limited.”

It was also said that pruning/pollarding or removal of dead /dry /dangerous trees will be approved by concerned department head, based on their jurisdiction so that it can be dealt expeditiously. The execution will be carried out by the municipal corporation. It was also stated that now the citizens will also be able to track their applications online with a click of a button.

The Indian Express had reported how it takes months or even years to get approval to fell the branch of a dangerous tree in Chandigarh.

The application has to clear over a dozen channels and if there are objections, it takes months or years. A senior official of the horticulture wing stated that a report is prepared first with photographs when an application is received. The condition of the tree is inspected after a field visit. Some residents said that it takes months to get the horticulture official for a field inspection.

It was said that the file then moves from the executive engineer of the horticulture department to superintending engineer. The file then goes to the chief engineer and from there to the principal secretary (home) who further sends it for approval to the adviser. He then sends the file to the forest department (chief conservator of forest) who then tasks his staff with cross checking after carrying out an inspection and preparing a report.

If there is no objection, the report is sent to the chief conservator who then gives a final nod and sends the file back to the adviser, who sends it back to the chain involving the principal secretary home, chief engineer, et al. Finally, the sub-divisional officer and junior engineer concerned decide to chop the tree.

After the incident, Executive Engineer, Horticulture, Parvesh Sharma, said that the Right to Service Act gives 45 days for the entire process. However, another official said this is often not followed and approvals take months. A retired judge from Sector 9 had stated that how he had been running from pillar to post for the last six months to get a heritage tree near his house pruned.