The Madhya Pradesh High Court has disposed of two petitions pending since 2018 that sought restrictions on tree felling in the state, directing the petitioners to first plant 25 fruit-bearing saplings each and submit a report to the court.

The order was passed on Thursday by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Pradeep Mittal.

The court also asked the petitioners to undertake a factual assessment of trees cut during road construction and other development projects in Madhya Pradesh, along with the number of replacement saplings planted. The bench said that if the study establishes a need for further judicial intervention, the petitioners may approach the court again with a fresh petition supported by concrete data.

Petitions Filed in 2018

Jabalpur resident Vivek Kumar Sharma and Neemuch resident Anand Manawat had filed separate petitions in 2018 seeking restrictions on tree felling across Madhya Pradesh.

The petitions alleged that large numbers of trees were being cut for road and infrastructure projects without adequate compensatory plantation.

During the proceedings, the petitioners also referred to an earlier decision of a three-judge full bench of the High Court. On March 1, 2025, the full bench had struck down a September 24, 2015 notification that permitted the felling of trees belonging to 53 specified species.

Court Seeks Actual Numbers

During Thursday's hearing, the bench observed that nearly nine years had passed since the petitions were filed. Several highways and roads have been constructed in the state during this period, but the petitions did not contain precise figures showing how many trees had been removed and how many replacement saplings had subsequently been planted.

The court observed that simply alleging that trees are being felled without adequate plantation was not sufficient to establish the current situation.

According to the bench, a proper assessment based on verifiable data is necessary to determine the scale of tree loss and compensatory plantation across the state.

Indore Plantation Cited

The court also noted that it would not be appropriate to assume that only tree felling is taking place in Madhya Pradesh and that no plantation work is being carried out.

The bench referred to Indore's plantation drive involving around 12 lakh saplings as an example of large-scale plantation activity. The court noted that the anniversary of the plantation initiative had also been observed recently.

The bench further noted that the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation has set a target of planting 11 lakh saplings this year.

Petitioners Asked to Conduct Study

As part of the directions, both petitioners have been asked to plant 25 fruit-bearing saplings each and submit reports regarding the plantation.

They have also been asked to collect information on trees felled for roads and other projects and compare those figures with the number of saplings planted in their place.

The High Court said the petitioners can return to court with a fresh petition if their study, backed by concrete figures, demonstrates that further intervention is warranted.

The order effectively brings the long-pending petitions to an end while leaving open the possibility of future proceedings based on documented evidence.