No Trees To Be Felled In Panjab; Department Apprehends Three For Wildlife Trade

On 24 Dec, while hearing two Public Interest Litigations (PIL) challenging tree felling in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed that no trees shall be felled anywhere in Panjab, until the next date of hearing. 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. 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. Lawyers argued that the proposed land swap was impermissible under Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), which contains no provision allowing relocation or exchange of protected forest land. The land had also been declared vulnerable to soil erosion and ecological instability, rendering the proposed development violative of the Punjab Unified Building Rules, 2021. The bench took note of official data from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change showing that Panjab’s forest cover stands at only 3.67% of its geographical area, which is worse than even the desert state Rajasthan at 4.87% and must be raised. Meanwhile, several khair (Catechu) trees were allegedly felled near the Nangal Wildlife Sanctuary last week triggering concerns among environmentalists and local residents over continuing degradation of forestland in the Shivalik foothills. However, the Wildlife Department said the site did not fall under its jurisdiction. Local residents alleged the felling was carried out by politically well-connected individuals, leading to inaction and have demanded stricter action to deter further destruction of forest resources. Additionally, a team of the Wildlife Department apprehended three people involved in wildlife trade in Nakodar. Sambar (a large deer) antlers, genitals and parts of a wild cat were recovered from them. Genitals of the protected species are illegally sold as they are believed to bring good luck. Meanwhile, as the air quality in the national capital remains hazardous impacting health, data collected from Punjab Pollution Control Board show Panjab’s air quality in all major towns in the moderate category—Patiala at 116, Ludhiana 131, Amritsar 126, Khanna 95, Bathinda 78, and Jalandhar 162 (earlier coverage).