The Punjab Forest and Wildlife Preservation Department is drafting “The Punjab Protection of Trees Act, 2025” with the objective of preserving green cover, maintaining ecological balance, reducing environmental pollution, and conserving soil.
The Punjab Tree Protection Act : The proposed Act will apply to all urban areas of Punjab, including jurisdictions of Nagar Councils, Municipal Corporations, Notified Area Committees, Town Area Committees, and Urban Development Authorities. It also introduces the role of a “Tree Officer,” defined as an Executive Officer of an urban local body or any officer designated by the State Government.
According to Section 4 of the Act, no individual will be permitted to cut, uproot, or dispose of trees in urban areas, except in the case of trees that are dead or have fallen naturally. Section 5 outlines specific conditions under which tree felling may be allowed, while Section 9 prescribes penalties for violations of Section 4.
During a meeting with department officials at the Forest Complex, the Minister In-charge, Shri Lal Chand Kataruchak, was informed that dried, dead, and hazardous trees are currently being removed to safeguard human life. In the first phase, around 25,000 dry trees will be felled.
The Minister commended the department’s efforts in surpassing its plantation target set for the 350th Martyrdom Anniversary of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji. Against a target of 80.5 lakh, over 90 lakh saplings have already been planted across all 23 districts, with each district originally expected to plant 3.5 lakh saplings.
He also reviewed plantation work along highways in Ropar (especially near Sri Anandpur Sahib), Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (around Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s ancestral village at Khatkar Kalan), Sangrur, Pathankot, and Amritsar. Praising Sangrur district for leading the initiative, the Minister urged Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs) through video conferencing to execute the project with full commitment.
Additionally, the Minister approved changes to the categories of poetry competitions organized in memory of the late poet Shiv Kumar Batalvi. The revised structure includes Primary (Classes 1–5), Secondary (Classes 6–8), and Senior Secondary (Classes 9–12).
Those present included Punjab State Forest Development Corporation Chairman Rakesh Puri, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) Dharminder Sharma, Corporation MD Praveen Kumar, APCCF-cum-CEO PUNCAMPA Saurav Gupta, APCCF (Administration) Basanta Raj Kumar, CCF (Hills) Nidhi Srivastava, and CCF (Wildlife) Sagar Setia.