Introduction
The Punjab Protection of Trees Act, 2026, was enacted to maintain green cover, ensure ecological balance, prevent environmental degradation and conserve soil in the state of Punjab. The Act was passed by the Punjab Legislature, received the Governor’s assent on 2 September 2026 and was published in the Punjab Government Gazette on 24 September 2026.
The legislation establishes a regulatory framework for controlling the felling, removal and damage of trees, particularly in urban areas. It also introduces an institutional mechanism to compensate for environmental losses caused by tree felling. Its central objective is to balance legitimate development requirements with environmental conservation by making tree removal subject to permission, replanting obligations and penalties for violations.
The Act extends to the urban areas specified in Schedule III and other areas that may be notified by the state government. It came into force on publication in the Official Gazette. Certain areas and tree species are excluded under the schedules or subsequent government notifications.
Definitions and scope
The Act defines a tree as a woody plant supported by a trunk or body having a girth of at least 35 centimeters at ground level. It defines tree felling broadly to include cutting, girdling, pollarding or damaging a tree in a manner that causes its death or drying.
Damage to trees includes injury caused by cement or concrete, decorative lights, grills, wires, nails, plastic cables, poisoning, partial burning or other harmful methods.
A significant feature is the recognition of a heritage tree, defined as a tree more than 100 years old that possesses unique historical, cultural or religious value. Such trees receive enhanced protection under the Act.
The legislation excludes specified areas, including reserved and protected forests, wildlife-protected areas, certain defense and cantonment lands, government research plots and government-managed nurseries. Exempted tree species include bamboo, eucalyptus, poplar, Burma neem or drek, and subabul. The state government may notify additional exemptions.
Restrictions on tree felling and removal
Section 4 prohibits any person, organization, agency or government agency from felling a standing tree, removing or disposing of a dead or fallen tree, or damaging a tree in a covered urban area, except as permitted under the Act and its rules.
Under Section 5, the Tree Protection Officer may grant permission to fell, prune, cut, remove or dispose of trees after considering the application and conducting an appropriate inquiry. Permission may be considered where a tree poses a danger to people or property or creates a traffic hazard.
Certain exceptions apply. Permission is not required for exempted tree species specified in Schedule II. In emergencies, including floods, storms, warlike situations and other natural or human-made disasters, immediate action may be taken to remove obstructions or prevent danger to life and property. In such cases, the concerned agency must inform the Tree Protection Officer of the removal within 24 hours.
Heritage trees enjoy particularly strict protection. They may be felled or removed only in the rarest of rare cases involving pressing development needs or grave danger, with prior state government permission based on the Tree Protection Officer’s recommendation and a reasoned order.
Procedure for obtaining permission
Section 6 prescribes a formal application procedure for tree felling. Applicants must submit Form A with the required particulars and supporting documents, including proof of land ownership, the number and species of trees proposed for removal, their girth measured at a height of 1.35 metres, reasons for felling, and a site map identifying the property and its khasra numbers.
The Act establishes specific timelines for decisions:
Thirty days: Applications for ordinary tree-felling permission must be decided within 30 days of receipt.
Seven days: Applications concerning dead or fallen trees, or trees posing danger to people or property, must be decided within seven days.
Deemed permission: If the Tree Protection Officer fails to decide an application within the prescribed seven-day period, permission is deemed to have been granted.
Appeal: A person aggrieved by the Tree Protection Officer’s decision may appeal to the designated Appellate Authority within 30 days. Its decision is final under the Act.
These provisions seek to ensure timely decisions while establishing a formal process for scrutiny and accountability.
Mandatory replanting and environmental compensation
Section 7 introduces a compulsory replanting requirement. A person permitted to fell or remove a tree must plant and maintain ten trees for every tree removed. For a heritage tree, the obligation increases to 25 trees. As far as possible, the replacement trees must be planted in the same area from which the original tree was removed.
Where land availability or other constraints make replanting difficult, the Tree Protection Officer may, for recorded reasons, permit fewer trees, allow planting in another area or require a monetary deposit into the officer’s special account for plantation purposes.
Under Section 8, the person responsible for replanting must report compliance within three months. Failure to fulfil the obligation may attract escalating fines: ₹10,000 per tree for the first instance of non-compliance, ₹35,000 per tree for the second, and up to ₹50,000 per tree if non-compliance continues.
The Act also applies the Polluter Pays Principle through environmental compensation. Amounts collected as environmental compensation are deposited in the Tree Protection Officer’s special account and used for greening activities in the respective urban local bodies.
Penalties and enforcement
Section 9 provides financial consequences for unauthorised tree felling, removal and damage. A person who illegally fells or removes a tree, or violates a condition of permission, may be required to pay government-notified environmental compensation and a penalty of up to ₹10,000 per tree.
For damage to a standing tree, the penalty may be up to ₹2,000 per tree, in addition to applicable environmental compensation.
Fines and penalties are deposited in the state treasury under the appropriate budget heads, whereas environmental compensation is directed towards local greening activities. Amounts payable under the Act, including specified compounding amounts, may be recovered as arrears of land revenue.
The Act also treats officers exercising powers under it as public servants under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. It protects good-faith actions taken under the legislation from certain legal proceedings.
The state government may prohibit the felling of specified classes of trees for a notified period in the public interest. It may also amend the relevant schedules to exempt particular areas or tree species, subject to prescribed conditions. The Act supplements rather than replaces other applicable laws regulating tree felling. It authorises the government to frame implementing rules and repeals the Trees Preservation Policy for Non-Forest Government and Public Lands-2024.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Punjab Protection of Trees Act, 2026, establishes a framework combining preventive restrictions, time-bound permissions, mandatory compensatory plantation, environmental compensation and financial penalties. By providing enhanced safeguards for heritage trees and directing compensation towards urban greening, it seeks to reconcile development with environmental protection.
References:
The Punjab Protection of Trees Act, 2026 (Punjab Act No. 13 of 2026).