Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A day after the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s statewide ban on tree felling and pruning came into effect on Thursday, seven fully grown trees were illegally axed, pruned and one severely damaged through deep pruning at the Bhojpur Club premises in Arera Colony E-1, Bhopal on Friday.
According to reports, four trees inside the club and three outside were cut or pruned using cutter machines. The damaged trees include six Cassia and one Neem tree. Large portions of the felled branches were dumped on the roadside, where they remain unattended.
The incident came to light after RTI activist Nitin Saxena filed a formal complaint with the city’s Tree Officer, exposing the failure of the tree-protection system despite the High Court’s strict directives.
In his complaint, Saxena stated that illegal felling had taken place at the Bhojpur Club site and that GPS-tagged images clearly showed the use of cutting machines. He described this as a violation of the Forest Conservation Act (Municipal Areas) 2001, the Environment Protection Act 1986, and relevant Municipal Corporation rules.
Upon receiving the report, Bhopal Municipal Corporation’s Commissioner and tree officer of the city Sanskriti Jain dispatched a team including deputy commissioner Hirendra Singh Kushwaha, garden in-charge and supervisor to the site for inspection. The Garden Department later prepared a Panchnama confirming the damage.
PWD SDO unaware of HC ban:
Meanwhile, PWD sub-divisional officer (SDO) Yogendra Kushwaha admitted that he had instructed the club management to trim the trees because construction machines were unable to access the roadwork site. SDO Kushwaha told Free Press that he was unaware of the High Court’s ban. Following this revelation, the BMC Commissioner issued a notice to the Bhojpur Club, directing it to submit a written explanation by Saturday.
BMC Commissioner appeared at High Court:
Notably, BMC Commissioner Jain herself appeared before the High Court on November 26 regarding ongoing tree-felling concerns in the city. The court subsequently ordered a complete halt on felling, pruning, and transplantation across Madhya Pradesh until further notice. On November 27, Jain officially took charge as the Tree Officer to ensure strict compliance.
Speaking to Free Press, Commissioner Jain confirmed the illegal pruning and assured that strict action will follow based on the club’s reply. “A notice has been served, and appropriate action will be taken as per rules,” she said.
