MP High Court Halts All Tree Felling in Bhopal, Cites 'Transplantation' as Guise for Destruction

JABALPUR: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has imposed a sweeping interim ban on the cutting, pruning, or transplanting of any tree within Bhopal without the court's express permission. The order follows stark allegations that state authorities are using "transplantation" as a deceptive method to clear vast numbers of trees for construction projects, effectively bypassing environmental protection laws.

The court, taking suo motu cognizance of the issue, directed the personal appearance of several high-ranking officials, including the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, the Commissioner of Municipal Corporation, Bhopal, and the General Manager of West Central Railways, for the next hearing scheduled on November 26, 2025.

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Background of the Matter

The case, registered as WP No. 42565 of 2025, was brought to the court's attention by Amicus Curiae, Shri Amalpushp Shroti. He pointed out that despite a prior court order mandating that no tree be cut without permission from a designated committee under the Madhya Pradesh Protection of Trees Act (Urban), 2001 , a new proposal sought to remove another 244 trees for the construction of residential complexes.

The court noted that the state had previously filed an affidavit confirming the absence of any formal Tree Plantation Policy, raising further concerns about the lack of a structured approach to preserving the city's green cover.

Arguments and Court's Observations

The counsel for an intervener, Shri Harpreet Singh Gupta, presented a newspaper report from 'Dainik Bhaskar' dated November 20, 2025. The report detailed a "novel method" being employed by authorities to circumvent felling restrictions. It quoted officials who admitted that since obtaining permission to cut trees is difficult, they were opting to "transplant" them, a process for which they claimed no permission was required.

The court was presented with photographic evidence revealing the brutal reality of this "transplantation." The method involved: - Completely stripping the tree of all its branches and leaves. - Uprooting the bare trunk and planting it elsewhere.

This practice was further substantiated by an official communication from the Executive Engineer, Vidhan Sabha Building Controller, dated October 30, 2025. The letter explicitly stated that trees obstructing the construction of a residential complex were being "shifted (uprooted)," resulting in the collection of a "huge quantity of wood" from the cut branches.

Pivotal Court Findings

The bench expressed strong disapproval of the authorities' actions, observing that the evidence clearly demonstrated a disregard for environmental preservation.

> "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," the court noted.

The judgment further condemned the widespread destruction of vegetation under the banner of development.

> "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 took note of another news report highlighting that as many as 8,000 trees had already been cut for a railway project, indicating the large scale of the issue.

Court's Directions and Implications

In a decisive move to halt the environmental damage, the court issued a strict interim order:

> "In the mean time, it is directed that no tree in the entire area of Bhopal shall be cut, pruned or transplanted in any manner except with the leave of this Court."

To ensure accountability, the court has summoned senior officials from the Public Works Department (PWD), Vidhan Sabha Secretariat, Municipal Corporation, Forest Department, and West Central Railways to be personally present at the next hearing. The respondents have also been ordered to submit photographs of the alleged transplanted trees.

This order effectively places a judicial moratorium on tree removal activities in Bhopal, shifting the authority for any such action directly to the High Court and signaling a serious judicial review of the state's urban development and environmental practices.