Development and environment have to go hand in hand: Supreme Court allows tree felling
The Supreme Court of India recently ruled that development and environmental protection must balance each other, allowing the felling of certain trees for a helipad in Ahmedabad’s riverfront project.
A resident from Hansol village challenged the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) December 2025 order permitting tree removal on non-forest land for the project’s second phase. The NGT found the area non-ecologically sensitive, with no prior permissions needed.
The bench, led by CJI Surya Kant alongside Justices R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi, noted the trees were mostly gando baval (Prosopis juliflora), a wild species that regrows easily without much effort. They emphasized that such growth occurs naturally, even outside forests, and highlighted successful afforestation examples like in Rajasthan.
The Court declined to halt the project but directed the NGT to form a supervisory committee for compensatory afforestation, ensuring double the number of trees are planted and monitored for five years. This includes verifying funds, planting, growth, and mortality rates by the forest department.
