4 min readChandigarhUpdated: Jan 23, 2026 03:02 PM IST
During the hearing, the court noted that BBMB had applied on August 18, 2025, for permission to cut around 4,056 trees to set up an 18 MW solar power plant on its land, but the application was still pending with the authorities.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court Friday directed the Punjab Government to decide, within three weeks, an application filed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) seeking permission to fell over 4,000 trees for a solar power project. The High Court also allowed the National Highways Authority of India to continue road projects where statutory clearances have already been granted, subject to strict compliance with afforestation norms.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry was hearing a batch of applications arising from its interim order dated December 24, 2025, which imposed a complete ban on tree felling across Punjab. The ban led several agencies, including NHAI, BBMB, and the Punjab Government, to seek relaxation or modification of the order.
During the hearing, the court noted that BBMB had applied on August 18, 2025, for permission to cut around 4,056 trees to set up an 18 MW solar power plant on its land, but the application was still pending with the authorities.
After Punjab Advocate General M S Bedi assured the bench that the matter would be decided expeditiously, the court directed the competent authority to decide the BBMB application within three weeks by passing a speaking order.
The court also made it clear that the decision should not be influenced by the interim ban or the pendency of the main petition. The court clarified that if statutory permissions were not granted, BBMB would have to face consequences under the law.
NHAI submissions
The bench then heard detailed submissions on applications filed by NHAI seeking modification of the blanket ban to allow continuation of highway projects. NHAI submitted that it had obtained all statutory approvals, including Stage II forest clearances from both the Centre and the state in September 2025, and that compensatory afforestation plans were already in place.
NHAI informed the court that one of the projects, a highway stretch along the international border in Punjab, was nearly 75 per cent complete and was of national and strategic importance, facilitating defence and troop movement across a border belt of nearly 100 kilometres. It said forest land along the highway had already been notified as a protected forest for compensatory plantation, and that funds for afforestation had been deposited.
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Opposing any relaxation, the petitioners argued that although permissions had been granted, there was no clarity on timelines for compensatory afforestation. They contended that despite identifying land months earlier, no substantial plantation work had begun, even after one monsoon season had passed. They urged the court to ensure that development and afforestation progressed simultaneously in keeping with principles of sustainable development.
The bench questioned why applications seeking permission to fell trees had remained undecided for months, and observed that agencies could not postpone compensatory plantation until after development works were completed. It indicated that monitoring mechanisms and timelines for afforestation would need to be addressed, while considering modifications to the December 24, 2025, order.
NHAI project of national importance
On the NHAI applications, the bench noted that Stage II approvals granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Punjab Government in September 2025 had been placed on record, along with documents relating to compensatory afforestation. The court recorded that the project along the international border was of national importance and was nearing completion.
Taking note of the statutory permissions already granted and the notification declaring the plantation raised along the highway as a protected forest, the bench held that the blanket ban imposed on December 24 could not obstruct projects where all approvals were in place. It accordingly modified its earlier order to allow NHAI to proceed with its work, subject to compliance with all conditions attached to the forest clearances, including the condition of compensatory afforestation.
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During the hearing, Punjab Advocate General Bedi told the court that state policy provides for compensatory afforestation at a minimum ratio of five trees for every tree felled. Chief Justice Sheel Nagu responded that a higher number, 10, would be preferable.
The bench repeatedly said that, given the scale of tree felling and environmental concerns, a tenfold norm was desirable. However, it stopped short of formally mandating it while allowing NHAI’s projects to proceed subject to compliance with forest clearance conditions and
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
