HC halts all tree felling across Punjab until next hearing on PILs by Mohali residents
The petitioners had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against a roundabout project and the proposed diversion of a 23-acre protected forest in Mohali.
In a far-reaching interim order with statewide implications, the Punjab and Haryana High Court Wednesday directed that no trees shall be felled anywhere in Punjab until the next date of hearing, while hearing two Public Interest Litigations (PIL) challenging tree felling in Mohali.
The direction was issued by a division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry, which also asked the state counsel to immediately inform all concerned authorities to halt tree felling across Punjab.
The PILs were filed by Parneet Kaur and Shubh Sekhon, both residents of Mohali, raising concerns over large-scale tree cutting and diversion of protected forest land for development projects.
Tender issued for auctioning 251 trees
Kaur’s petition slammed the proposed felling of 251 trees for the construction of three roundabouts or rotaries at existing traffic junctions in sectors 67, 68, 79, and 80, as well as at the Sohana Junction on PR-7 Road in SAS Nagar (Mohali) district. The court recorded that a tender had been issued for auctioning 251 trees, with the last date for submission being December 9, and that tree cutting had commenced barely two days before the matter was taken up.
Appearing for Kaur, advocate Jatin Bansal relied on the tender documents and news reports to argue that the trees were being cut in the name of development without adequate environmental assessment at a time when Punjab’s forest and tree cover was among the lowest in the country.
Punjab’s forest cover just 3.6%
The bench took note of official data from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) showing that Punjab’s forest cover stands at only 3.67 per cent of its geographical area, observing that even Rajasthan had a better forest cover of around 4.87 per cent. He remarked that existing policies appeared insufficiently conscious of the environmental degradation underway.
In the second PIL, advocate Harlove Singh Rajput, appearing for petitioner Sekhon, challenged the proposed diversion, cutting and relocation of a 23-acre fully grown forest in Sector 90, Mohali, which is notified and protected under the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900.
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It was submitted that the authorities had initiated steps to swap the protected forest land with an alternative site in Ludhiana to facilitate large-scale residential, commercial, and institutional development. The scheme was formulated in September 2025, cleared by the Forest Department in November 2025, and is presently pending final approval, after which deforestation would commence imminently.
‘Land swap impermissible under PLPA’
Rajput argued that the proposed land swap was impermissible under PLPA, which contains no provision allowing relocation or exchange of protected forest land. He further submitted that the move violated the National Forest Policy, 1988, which treats forest land as a national asset requiring the highest degree of protection.
The petition warned of irreversible ecological damage, aggravation of already critical pollution levels, with several districts in Punjab recording AQI levels close to 250, and destruction of a mature forest ecosystem that could not be replaced for decades through compensatory afforestation. It was also contended that the land had been declared vulnerable to soil erosion and ecological instability, rendering the proposed development violative of the Building Rules, 2021.
The bench observed that authorities could reach a point of no return, beyond which restoration of environmental and ecological balance would be extremely difficult. “The drastic steps taken by the respondents require drastic measures from this court,” the bench remarked.
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Punjab Deputy Advocate General Salil Sabhlok objected to the maintainability of the PILs, contending that no specific statutory permissions had been challenged and that reliance was being placed on news reports. However, in view of the gravity of the environmental concerns raised, the court proceeded to restrain tree felling across the state.
The matters will now be heard in January after the vacation.
Manraj Grewal Sharma is a senior journalist and the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Chandigarh, where she leads the newspaper’s coverage of north India’s most politically and institutionally significant regions. From Punjab and Haryana to Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, she oversees reporting at the intersection of governance, law, politics and society. She also reports on the diaspora, especially in Canada and the US.
With a career spanning journalism across several countries, academia and international development, Manraj brings a rare depth of perspective to regional reporting. She is widely regarded as a leading chronicler of Punjab’s contemporary history and socio-political evolution, particularly its long shadow of militancy, federal tensions and identity politics. Her book, Dreams after Darkness, remains a definitive account of the militancy years and their enduring aftermath.
Professional Background & Expertise
A gold medalist in mass communication and a post-graduate in English literature, Manraj has a multifaceted career spanning journalism, academia, and international development. She was also awarded a fellowship by National Foundation of India and did several in-depth pieces on Manipur. Internationally, she has reported from Israel, US, UK, Myanmar, and Mauritius
Her key focus areas include:
Regional Politics, History, Agriculture, Diaspora, and Security. Of late, she has started focusing on Legal & Judicial Affairs: Much of her recent work involves reporting on high-stakes cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, ranging from environmental policy to civil rights.
International Consulting: She previously served as a consulting editor for the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network and a publishing consultant for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila.
Academia: For five years, she was the managing editor of Gender, Technology and Development, a peer-reviewed international journal at the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reportage focuses heavily on judicial interventions and regional governance:
1. Environment & Governance
"‘NGT can’t test legality of policy’: HC hears challenge to Punjab’s ‘Green Habitat’ plan" (Dec 22, 2025): Covering a critical legal battle over whether the National Green Tribunal has the authority to strike down a state policy regularizing farmhouses on delisted forest land.
"High court pulls up Punjab poll panel over audio clip probe" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on judicial concerns regarding the transparency and fairness of local body elections.
2. Legal Rights & Social Welfare
"HC issues notice to Punjab, Haryana over delay in building old age homes" (Dec 22, 2025): Reporting on a contempt petition against top officials for failing to establish government-run homes for the elderly as promised in 2019.
"Victims can appeal acquittals in sessions court without seeking special leave" (Dec 19, 2025): Highlighting a significant procedural shift in criminal law following a Supreme Court ruling.
"HC upholds benefits for Punjab FCI officer acquitted in 20-year-old bribery case" (Dec 19, 2025): A report on the concept of "honourable acquittal" and its impact on employee benefits.
3. Human Rights & Identity
"As Punjab denies parole to MP Amritpal Singh, HC asks it to submit ‘foundational material’" (Dec 1, 2025): Covering the legal proceedings regarding the radical preacher and sitting MP's request to attend Parliament.
"Protecting life paramount: HC backs Muslim woman in live-in after verbal divorce" (Nov 6, 2025): Analyzing judicial protections for personal liberty in the context of traditional practices.
Signature Beats
Manraj is recognized for her ability to decode complex judicial rulings and relate them to the everyday lives of citizens. Whether it is a 30-year-old land battle in Fazilka or the political implications of Kangana Ranaut’s candidacy in Mandi, her writing provides deep historical and regional context.
Contact
@grewal_sharma on X
manrajgrewalsharma on Instagram ... Read More
