Do you want to cut down a tree in India, and you were talking about this to somebody else and they told you that it is illegal to do so? Well, yes, that’s pretty much the case right here in India. You can’t just cut down any tree you want, it doesn’t work like that. So, let’s have a look at some laws in place for this in the country, and how exactly you can cut down a tree in a legal way. Here we go.
What Are The Specific Laws Or Rules Regarding Trees in India?
From the looks of it, it might sound unbelievable, but the Indian government has set some individual laws to protect trees and forests, and for good reasons actually. First of all, there is the Indian Forest Act of 1927 is one of the main laws, and it was created to govern the forested parts of the country. According to the law, you can be slapped with a huge fine of up to Rs. 10,000 for cutting down any tree without the approval of the Forest Department.
The Forest Conservation Act of 1980 is yet another important law, and it is the one mostly focused on forest conservation and forest land use control, you know? This legislation is in the pipeline or in progress because it is one of the few laws that can stop deforestation for development or other purposes and is critical for the less developed areas of the nation. And we need to work on it more because you know, such action also preserves the biodiversity and natural resources found in our forests as well.
Also part of the tree protection presented in the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 is not only the animals and the trees but also, the variety of tree species. Trees protected by this law are not allowed to be cut down on, harvested, or harmed. And there are actually many authorities in India, specifically the wildlife ones which impose these laws and rules in different parts of the nation.
But, How Can You Legally Get Permission To Cut Trees?
Are you thinking about chopping off or cutting down a tree? It isn’t like you go out there, pick a tree you want to cut down, and that’s it. Nah, you can’t do that, there are specific laws in place which we already talked about in the previous section and you can get in legal trouble for doing that. So, how do you do that legally? Well, to begin with, you ought to go to the Forest Department and fill out an application stating the reason why you want to have the tree cut down, and you need to attach proof of land ownership and a picture of the tree too.
As soon as you submit your application, a forest officer will come visit your site to make sure that the tree is a problem or that its removal is necessary. If the official gives permission, they will issue the clearance to go ahead. This has to be done in order for the tree to be legally cut down, remember that.
