Reply by the MoEF&CC in the matter of Prof Sanjeev Bagai & Others Vs Department of Environment GNCTD dated 02/02/2024.

"Land is a state subject and the state government/UT administration have regulated felling of trees on non-forest land through various acts and rules". Many states have specific tree preservation acts/tree felling acts including guidelines for regulating felling of trees on revenue lands and penal provisions for violations. The implementation of these acts and rules is supervised by designated authorities whose permission is necessary for felling of trees in non-forest land.

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The reply by the MoEF&CC gave a list of the states and UTs having their own tree preservation acts/tree felling acts.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) expressed the opinion that there is no requirement for framing of centralized guidelines for tree preservation acts/tree felling acts as it is already being regulated by state governments as per existence provisions in state acts, rules based on state specific circumstances.