News: Forest Dept Books GMDA for Tree Damage at Mahavir Chowk-17-07-2026
The Haryana Forest Department has lodged a forest offence report (FOR) against the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) over extensive damage caused to trees at Mahavir Chowk in the name of "pruning", officials said.
An inspection carried out after the department was alerted found that at least four trees had been illegally damaged.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) Surinder Dangi said no tree was felled, but excessive and improper cutting caused unauthorised damage, and further action will follow procedure. He noted that the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s directions are binding statewide. In April, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on the felling of over 5,000 trees for the Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass project, the court directed that no tree be felled anywhere in Haryana without its prior permission.
GMDA spokesperson Neha Sharma told HT that a few branches were inadvertently broken during site cleaning for greening and landscape works at the chowk, and that no tree was damaged or felled. She said teams are pruning across Gurugram to improve visibility and road safety, and that GMDA will plant 945,000 shrubs, 50,000 trees and 5,000 bamboo saplings.
