Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh government has withdrawn the power to grant tree-felling permissions from urban local bodies and vested it in the forest department.
The decision follows repeated allegations of unauthorised and large-scale tree cutting, particularly by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC).According to sources, BMC deputy commissioner Harendra Kushwah allegedly appointed a close aide to oversee the operation, facilitating swift and unhindered felling of trees, possibly overnight.
Following the incident, a notification issued by deputy secretary Pramod Shukla of the Urban Administration Department (UAD) appoints forest range officers, or project rangers, as “tree officers” for all urban areas. Sub-divisional forest officers (SDFOs), holding the rank of assistant conservator of forests, have been designated as appellate authorities.
Irregularities, court intervention prompt action
The move comes after reports that BMC officials, particularly in the garden section, granted permission to fell hundreds of trees in violation of established norms. In some instances, regulations were allegedly modified to bypass legal requirements.
One major case involved permission to cut nearly 8,000 trees for the construction of a 10-lane Ayodhya Bypass. By Dec 20, around 1,569 trees had already been felled before the National Green Tribunal intervened and imposed a stay on Dec 22. The matter is also pending before the High Court, which directed that any proposal involving more than 25 trees must be approved by a high-powered committee.
Allegations of backdoor approvals by BMC
Despite judicial scrutiny, concerns persist over irregular permissions. Recently, the Municipal Corporation granted “private permission” to the Metro Corporation to cut about 668 trees between Ratnagiri and Bhadbhada.
This approval allowed the agency to undertake felling and timber transport independently. Sources have also raised questions over internal arrangements that allegedly enabled swift execution of the operation, intensifying concerns about transparency.
