The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday sharply halted all tree-cutting activities in Bhopal after receiving troubling details about large-scale destruction of green cover linked to upcoming residential and railway projects. During a tense hearing, the bench appeared visibly dissatisfied with the State’s explanations and warned that “development cannot become an excuse to butcher an entire ecosystem,” as one lawyer present paraphrased.
Background
The matter arose in a suo motu PIL where the court had earlier directed that no tree should be cut or pruned unless permitted by a specially constituted 9-member committee or the designated Tree Officer under the MP Protection of Trees (Urban) Act, 2001. However, the Amicus Curiae informed the bench that despite these orders, authorities were moving ahead with plans to remove 244 trees for a government residential complex in Bhopal.
Adding to the controversy, intervenors pointed out a news report claiming that some agencies were now using “transplantation” as a loophole-essentially chopping off all branches, uprooting the bare trunk, and calling it a shift. The bench observed, “If this is transplantation, then even a pole can be called a tree.”
Another document placed before the court-an internal letter from the Vidhan Sabha Building Controller-openly stated that a large amount of wood was being collected as branches were cut from trees obstructing construction.
To make matters worse, the judges also took note of a newspaper report alleging that nearly 8,000 trees had already been felled for a railway project.
Court’s Observations
The bench was direct and unsparing. It remarked that the actions of the authorities “show no real intention to protect or transplant any tree.” Instead, the court noted, the approach seemed to be outright removal under the guise of development.
Photos submitted to the court only strengthened the suspicion: trees completely stripped of leaves and branches, leaving behind bare trunks supposedly meant for transplantation. The court commented that such practices “make a mockery of environmental norms,” and questioned whether any genuine transplantation policy even existed, especially after the government admitted through an affidavit that no such policy is in force in the State.
Decision
In a firm interim order, the High Court directed that no tree in Bhopal shall be cut, pruned, or transplanted without the court’s prior permission.
It also ordered the personal presence of several senior officials at the next hearing, including:
- Executive Engineer, PWD
- Under Secretary & Administrative Officer, Vidhan Sabha Secretariat
- Commissioner, Bhopal Municipal Corporation
- Principal Chief Conservator of Forest
- Principal Secretary, Vidhan Sabha Secretariat
- General Manager, West Central Railways
The court further instructed the authorities to submit photographs of all allegedly transplanted trees at the next hearing on 26 November 2025. With that, the bench concluded its order, signaling that the matter will now be monitored with strict scrutiny.
Case Title: In Reference Suo Motu v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Others
Case No.: WP No. 42565 of 2025
Case Type: Writ Petition (Suo Motu Public Interest)
Decision Date: 20 November 2025