On December 24, the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued an order directing that no trees shall be felled anywhere in Punjab until the next date of hearing in connection with two public interest litigations (PILs) challenging large-scale tree felling in Mohali city, located in Punjab close to Chandigarh.
These legal actions should be welcomed for their immediate role in reducing the chances of avoidable tree felling. Beyond this, they should also be seen as part of a wider and highly encouraging trend of growing environmental awareness and action in Punjab. Such initiatives need to expand further in thoughtful and coordinated ways, as Punjab has suffered serious environmental damage on multiple fronts over recent decades. Their impact would be significantly enhanced if there is greater interaction, cooperation, and unity among various emerging efforts, not only within Punjab but also in neighbouring states.
Turning to the ongoing PILs from Mohali, one petition filed by Parneet Kaur has opposed the proposed felling of about 251 trees for the construction of three roundabouts or rotaries. The second petition, filed by Shubh Sekhon, has sought protection for an urban forest in Mohali, where proposals for tree felling are reportedly at an advanced stage.
These petitions highlight that, under pressure from real estate developers and construction lobbies, the likelihood of large-scale and indiscriminate tree felling is increasing. Such actions should be avoided, particularly when the need for urban tree cover is growing due to worsening air pollution and the broader challenge of climate change.
While hearing the petitions, Chief Justice Sheel Nagu emphasised the importance of exercising restraint so that ecological balance can be restored. Chief Justice Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry took note of official data showing that forest cover in Punjab constitutes only 3.6 per cent of its geographical area. Advocates Jatin Bansal and Harlove Singh Rajput, appearing for the petitioners, presented strong arguments in favour of protecting trees.
In recent months, there have been growing signs of increased assertiveness by environmental movements in Punjab. This development deserves wide appreciation and support, as it is much needed in a state that has experienced rapid environmental degradation at several levels over the past few decades.
An impressive and successful mobilisation took place earlier to protect the Mattewara forest in Ludhiana from a poorly conceived industrial project. There was also a prolonged protest against pollution caused by a liquor factory near Zira in Ferozepur district. In Ropar district, people have mobilised around environmental concerns related to a proposed paper mill near the Budha river and the Sirhind canal. The establishment of paper mills and distilleries near rivers and canals has rightly come under close scrutiny, as these industries are known to pose serious risks of water pollution.
All these movements have raised important issues, and the growing assertiveness of environmental activism should be welcomed. At no other time in its history has Punjab faced such extensive and multi-dimensional environmental degradation as during the past six decades. A strong and sustained environmental movement is therefore an urgent necessity.
Punjab’s forest cover remains alarmingly low. Even when afforestation and tree-planting initiatives are undertaken, there is often a preference for exotic species and monoculture plantations, which cannot provide the ecological protection of natural forests. As a result, bird and animal life has suffered severe losses. Birds, in particular, have been badly affected by the excessive use of toxic agro-chemicals in farms, orchards, gardens, and lawns, leading to distressing incidents of mass bird deaths, including parrots.
The impact of excessive agro-chemical use on human health has also been severe, through both direct exposure and contamination of groundwater and surface water. The rising incidence of cancer in several parts of the state has been especially tragic in this context.
From a longer-term perspective, the harmful effects of indiscriminate agro-chemical use, coupled with declining biodiversity and increasing monocultures, on soil health—and consequently on human nutrition and health—are deeply troubling.
Groundwater levels have been falling across most areas of the state, and as water tables decline beyond certain thresholds, the risk of contamination increases. Ponds and village water bodies that once helped store rainwater and recharge groundwater have largely disappeared, though some welcome efforts to revive them have begun in recent years. Many rivers are heavily polluted, while smaller rivulets face even more serious threats to their survival and identity. These problems are compounded by excessive dam construction and other interventions in the upper Himalayan catchment areas.
Traditional crop rotations and mixed farming systems have been badly disrupted. Even basic practices such as cereal-legume rotation and intercropping were neglected, leading to nutrient loss due to the absence of legumes and their nitrogen-fixing properties. This occurred despite legumes being a vital part of local diets and a key source of affordable protein. Increasingly water-intensive cropping patterns have severely depleted groundwater resources, with faster depletion over the past 50 years than in the preceding 5,000 years. Unwise changes in cropping intensity, rotations, and harvesting practices have also contributed to frequent stubble burning, worsening air pollution both within and beyond rural areas.
Waste management has emerged as a serious challenge in both rural and urban Punjab, particularly with the growing presence of polythene, non-biodegradable waste, and hazardous materials. Air pollution has also become an increasingly serious problem in cities.
These environmental challenges must be addressed in a comprehensive and holistic manner. For instance, while pollution caused by distilleries must be firmly opposed, this opposition should also extend to questioning excessive liquor consumption. Otherwise, there is an element of inconsistency in rejecting distilleries while continuing current levels of alcohol demand. Similarly, protecting the rural environment must go hand in hand with promoting more sustainable agricultural practices.
Punjab needs a well-coordinated environmental movement with a broad vision capable of addressing interconnected environmental problems and their roots in distorted development models and lifestyle patterns. This movement should maintain strong and sustained links with environmental activists and movements in neighbouring states, particularly Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Equally important is integrating environmental concerns with issues of justice and equality.
One promising direction is the wider adoption of diverse natural farming systems. In various parts of the country, including farms the author has personally visited, small farmers—many of them women—have achieved encouraging results through natural farming. These systems combine grains, legumes, and oilseeds with multi-layer vegetable gardens, small orchards of indigenous fruit trees, and animal husbandry. Organic manure from livestock plays a central role, reducing costs, improving soil and water quality, lowering water intensity, and reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Such systems provide year-round income, strengthen climate adaptation and mitigation, and ensure healthier food for both self-consumption and markets. Many farmers adopting these practices have improved their livelihoods, health outcomes, and environmental protection simultaneously.
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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Planet in Peril, Protecting Earth for Children, When the Two Streams Met, and A Day in 2071
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