New Rule in Punjab Will Prevent Even Govt From Cutting Certain Trees

The Punjab government has enforced new regulations to protect ecologically significant trees and green spaces across the province.

The Public Parks, Greenbelts and Green Areas Protection & Regulated Emergency Transplantation Regulations 2026 aim to prevent the unnecessary cutting of large and environmentally important trees.

Under the new rules, any tree with a trunk wider than 36 inches or aged 30 years or more will be classified as a “heritage tree.”

Authorities will not allow such trees to be cut or disturbed unless they pose a safety risk or suffer from severe disease, and only after approval from a technical committee.

Each district horticulture agency will form a committee of arborists, foresters, environmentalists, and botanists to review requests related to tree removal, pruning, or transplantation.

Officials will also maintain a public digital register of all heritage trees with GPS locations and photographs.

The regulations require authorities to consider tree transplantation before removal. If cutting a tree becomes unavoidable, officials must plant at least 20 saplings for each tree removed.

If a transplanted tree dies, the number rises to 50 saplings per tree, using native and climate-resilient species maintained for three years.

The government has also made Arboricultural Impact Assessments (AIAs) mandatory for major development projects that may affect existing trees.

A province-wide Geographic Information System (GIS) will map and monitor urban trees for better conservation planning.

The rules also introduce strict measures to protect public parks and green belts from encroachment and commercial exploitation.

Construction or development projects affecting trees will require a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the relevant horticulture authority after a technical review.

Violations of the regulations may result in up to one year in prison or a fine of Rs500,000, or both.

The government says the new framework will ensure consistent protection of green cover across all 21 district horticulture agencies in Punjab.