The Punjab and Haryana High Court has closed the suo motu proceedings it had initiated last month over concerns raised in media reports about the alleged felling of nearly 2,000 trees by real estate developer DLF Ltd in Gurugram’s DLF Phase 5 area.
The bench took note of an affidavit submitted by Gurugram’s Deputy Conservator of Forests, Raj Kumar, who clarified that the land in question is privately owned. According to the affidavit, the parcel neither falls under protected or reserved forest categories nor has it been notified under the Aravalli plantation zone. Furthermore, Kumar informed the court that DLF had secured the requisite permissions for tree felling after a proper field inspection.
The court had initiated the proceedings in June following reports of public protests by local residents and environmentalists, who expressed alarm over the large-scale felling of trees across approximately 40 acres.
While dropping the proceedings, the court emphasized the importance of ensuring environmental safeguards. It directed DLF Ltd to strictly adhere to all terms and conditions under which the tree-felling permissions were granted — especially the mandatory requirement to plant 10 saplings for every tree cut. The state authorities were also instructed to supervise the afforestation efforts and ensure full compliance.
