In short. To complain about illegal tree felling in Delhi, record the felling on your phone, call 112, and send a written complaint to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (the Tree Officer) of that forest division under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994. If no action follows, a writ petition in the Delhi High Court or an application to the NGT can be filed.
Most illegal felling in Delhi is not done by timber thieves. It is done by a contractor clearing a plot, a resident who wants light in the drawing room, a market association making space for parking, or an agency in a hurry to finish a road. The law treats all of them the same way: permission first, felling later. The difficulty for the person who complains is practical. Trees come down in an hour, usually early in the morning or on a holiday, and the evidence is carted away by noon.
This post explains what counts as illegal felling, how to check whether permission was given, who to complain to and in what order, what the penalties really are, and when it makes sense to take the matter to the Delhi High Court or the NGT. If your problem is dust and debris from the construction that follows the felling, our post on construction dust and debris complaints covers that separately. For how environmental cases run before the tribunal, see our page on NGT cases in Delhi.
- The law
- Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994, sections 8 to 25
- Who permits felling
- Tree Officer (Deputy Conservator of Forests of the division)
- Fifty trees or more
- Central Empowered Committee approval needed (Supreme Court order, December 2024)
- Appeal against Tree Officer
- Within 30 days to the Appellate Authority (section 14)
- NGT time limit
- 6 months under section 14 NGT Act, extendable by 60 days
- Emergency
- Call 112 while felling is going on, then write to the Tree Officer
Is it illegal to cut a tree in Delhi without permission?
Yes. Section 8 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994 says that no person shall fell, remove or dispose of any tree on any land, whether private or government, without the prior permission of the Tree Officer. Ownership of the land makes no difference. A tree in your own courtyard, on a plot you have just bought, or outside your boundary wall on the footpath, is covered in exactly the same way.
The Act defines a tree widely: any woody plant with a trunk at least 5 cm in diameter measured 30 cm above the ground and at least one metre tall. That catches almost every tree you would notice, including young neem, peepal, jamun and amaltas trees that residents often think are too small to matter. Felling is also defined widely. It includes lopping, pollarding, girdling and burning, so a tree does not have to be cut at the base for the Act to apply.
There is one narrow exception. If a tree is in imminent danger of falling and threatens life or property, it can be felled at once, but the fact must be reported to the Tree Officer within 24 hours. People sometimes use this exception as an afterthought, claiming danger once a complaint is made. The Tree Officer will look for photographs of the tree before it was cut, any earlier complaint about it, and whether a report was actually sent within the 24 hours.
What counts as illegal felling, including the cases people miss
Cutting a healthy tree to the ground without permission is the obvious case. Many complaints involve something less dramatic that the law still treats as felling. Heavy lopping that leaves a bare trunk with stumps, done to clear a hoarding or a shop sign, is felling under the definition. So is ring-barking (girdling), which kills a tree slowly over months, and repeatedly burning garbage or leaves at its base.
Then there are the methods meant to kill a tree without being seen to cut it: pouring acid or diesel at the roots, driving nails into the trunk, tying wires that cut into the bark, or cementing the ground right up to the trunk. These are harder to prove than a chainsaw at work, so photographs taken over several weeks matter more.
Felling under a permission can also be illegal. The permission order states how many trees, of which species, at which location, and on what conditions. Cutting more trees than permitted, cutting a different tree, cutting before the compensatory plantation is done when the order requires it first, or cutting a batch of fifty or more trees before the Central Empowered Committee has approved the permission, are all violations even though a permission exists on paper.
Who gives permission to cut a tree in Delhi, and how?
Permission comes from the Tree Officer, who is a forest officer not below the rank of Deputy Conservator of Forests appointed by the Delhi government. In practice this is the Deputy Conservator of Forests of the forest division in which the land falls. The application under section 9 must give ownership documents, the number and species of trees, their girth, the reasons for removal and a site plan. The Tree Officer may inspect, grant permission in full or in part, or refuse with written reasons.
The Act says the decision should come within 60 days and that silence after that period counts as permission. That deeming rule no longer works in practice. In December 2024, in the long-running M.C. Mehta matter, the Supreme Court directed that no one may act on a deemed permission without its leave, that every permission for fifty or more trees (or that takes a property's total in one year above forty-nine) must be approved by the Central Empowered Committee before it takes effect, and that Tree Officers must inspect the site personally and consider alternatives such as pruning before allowing felling.
Permission usually comes with conditions under section 10: plant a stated number of saplings of named species, at the same site or elsewhere, and maintain them. In June 2025 the Delhi High Court, dealing with a contempt plea about tree permissions, set out further standards, including saplings of a minimum height and girth and an affidavit from the project proponent to maintain them for five years. These conditions change from time to time, so treat them as a guide and ask for the current standard operating procedure when you check a permission.
Who to complain to about illegal tree felling in Delhi
Different authorities can do different things. The table shows where each one fits, so you send the right complaint to the right office instead of writing to everyone at once.
| Authority | When to approach | What it can do |
|---|---|---|
| Police (112 or local police station) | While felling is going on, or right after | Stop the work, record a DD entry, register an FIR where a cognizable offence is made out, inform the Tree Officer |
| Tree Officer (Deputy Conservator of Forests of the division) | In every case, in writing | Inspect, seize tools, vehicles and timber (section 15), prosecute or compound, order replanting |
| Civic agency (MCD, NDMC, PWD, DDA) | Tree on a road, park or public land under its control | Act against its own contractor, restore the site, remove concrete from the tree base |
| Appellate Authority under section 14 | To challenge a Tree Officer's order on permission or replanting | Set aside or modify the order after hearing the parties |
| Delhi High Court (writ) | Authorities fail to act, or a permission was granted mechanically | Direct inquiry and action, stay felling, enforce earlier court directions |
| National Green Tribunal | Substantial environmental damage, forest land, or need for restitution and compensation | Order joint inspection, restoration, environmental compensation |
For felling of fifty or more trees, or felling in the Ridge, the Supreme Court and its Central Empowered Committee are already supervising the subject. If a large project is felling trees before the Committee's approval, that is a matter to raise there through counsel, not only with the local forest office.
How to file an illegal tree felling complaint in Delhi
Speed matters more than polish. A short complaint sent on the same day, with photographs, is worth more than a detailed one sent a week later when the stumps have been dug out.
Record what is happening
Take photographs and a short video showing the tree, the people cutting it, the tools, any vehicle and its number plate, and a landmark that fixes the location. Keep the original files; they carry the date, time and often the location. Note the names of neighbours who saw it.
Call 112 if felling is in progress
Ask the police to stop the work and come to the spot. Note the PCR call time and the name of the officer who arrives. Ask that a DD entry be made at the police station, and get its number.
Ask to see the permission
Politely ask the contractor or owner for the Tree Officer's permission order. If they have one, photograph it. If they say it is 'in process' or 'with the office', that usually means there is none.
Write to the Tree Officer the same day
Email and send by post a complaint to the Deputy Conservator of Forests of the forest division, with the address, the number and type of trees, the date and time, names if known and the photographs. Ask for a site inspection, seizure of the timber and tools, and action under the Act. Keep proof of sending.
Inform the land-owning agency
If the tree stood on a road, park or government land, send a copy to the MCD, NDMC, PWD or DDA office concerned. Their contractor may be the one cutting, and they can stop it faster than anyone else.
Follow up in writing after a week
Ask what action has been taken: inspection report, seizure memo, prosecution or compounding, replanting order. If you get no answer, file an RTI application for the inspection report and any permission granted for that site.
Escalate if nothing happens
Write to the Conservator of Forests or the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. If that also fails, take advice on a writ petition before the Delhi High Court or an application to the NGT, using the complaints and replies as your record.
Evidence that makes a tree felling complaint work
Officers act faster on complaints that let them see the violation without having to rebuild it. Collect these before the site is cleared.
Proof of the tree and the felling
- Photographs of the tree before felling (old phone photos, Google Street View screenshots)
- Video of the cutting, the people and tools
- Photographs of the stump, sawdust and stacked timber
- Vehicle number of the truck or tractor carrying the wood
- Measurement of the stump girth with a tape
Proof of the location
- Full address with nearby landmark
- Plot or house number, or the pole number on the road
- Map pin shared from your phone
- Whether the land is private, a park, a road or forest
Paper trail
- PCR call time and DD entry number
- Copy of the complaint to the Tree Officer with proof of sending
- Any permission order shown at the site
- RTI application and reply
- Written statements of neighbours who saw it
For RWAs and groups
- Resolution of the managing committee authorising the complaint
- Earlier letters about the same trees
- Photographs of concrete, nails or wires on surviving trees
- Contact person who will follow up
Should you call the police or the Forest Department first?
If the saws are running, call the police first. A PCR van can reach most Delhi colonies faster than a forest guard, and a police officer at the spot is usually enough to stop the work. Section 22 of the Act places a duty on police constables and officers, among others, to report contraventions to the Tree Officer and take reasonable steps to prevent them. Section 18 allows a police officer of Sub-Inspector rank or above to arrest without a warrant a person reasonably suspected of an offence who refuses to give a name, gives a false one, or is likely to abscond.
Once the felling has stopped or is over, the Tree Officer is the authority that matters. The forest department can seize the felled timber, the tools and the vehicle under section 15, prosecute under the Act, and order replanting. The police can register an FIR where the facts show a cognizable offence, for example mischief under section 324 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita where trees on public land are destroyed, or theft where timber is carried away. If the local police station refuses to record your complaint, our post on what to do when police refuse to register an FIR explains the next steps.
When Advocate B.K. Singh is asked to look at a tree felling complaint, the first thing he asks for is the permission order, not the photographs. If a valid permission exists and was followed, the complaint is mostly about conditions and replanting. If there is no permission, or the cutting went beyond it, the case is about a clear violation, and the complaint should say so in its first paragraph.
How do you check whether a tree felling had permission?
Start at the site. A contractor working under a permission is expected to have a copy, and most will show it to avoid trouble. Read it closely: the number of trees, their species, the khasra or property number, the date, and the conditions about compensatory planting or transplanting. Check whether the tree you saw cut is one of those listed. A permission for two dead trees at the back of a plot does not cover a healthy tree at the front gate.
If no one shows you a permission, write to the Tree Officer asking whether any permission was granted for that address, and file an RTI application with the Department of Forests and Wildlife for the application, the inspection note and the order. Our post on filing an RTI application and appeals explains how to word it and what to do if the reply is late. For large projects, ask also whether the permission was sent to the Central Empowered Committee and approved, since the Supreme Court's December 2024 order makes that approval a condition for fifty or more trees.
Agencies such as the PWD, DDA and NHAI usually obtain permissions for road and building projects. Their permissions often relate to a list of trees identified in a survey, numbered and marked with paint. If unmarked trees are coming down, or the count is running ahead of the permission, note the numbers painted on the trunks and photograph them. That single detail often decides whether an officer treats the complaint as serious.
The provisions that apply to tree felling in Delhi
Section 2(h) and 2(i), Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994
Define felling (including lopping, pollarding, girdling and burning) and tree (trunk at least 5 cm in diameter at 30 cm height and at least one metre tall). These definitions are why heavy pruning and slow killing count as felling.
Sections 8 to 12, DPTA
Section 8 prohibits felling without the Tree Officer's prior permission, with a 24-hour reporting rule for trees in imminent danger. Section 9 sets out the application and decision. Sections 10 to 12 deal with compensatory planting, the owner's duty to protect trees, and the Tree Officer's power to plant at the defaulter's cost.
Section 14, DPTA
Appeal against an order or direction of the Tree Officer under sections 9, 10 or 11, to the Appellate Authority appointed by the government, within 30 days, with a copy of the order.
Sections 15 to 25, DPTA
Seizure of tools, vehicles and timber; forfeiture on conviction; arrest in limited cases; duty of officers to report; compounding by an empowered officer; liability of companies and organisations and the persons in charge; and the penalty for contravention.
Section 324, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
Mischief: destroying or damaging property so as to cause wrongful loss. Police use it alongside the DPTA where trees belonging to a public body or another person are destroyed. Theft under section 303 may apply where timber is taken away.
Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam 1980
The renamed Forest (Conservation) Act. Where the land is notified forest, including parts of the Delhi Ridge, diversion and felling need central approval. It is one of the Acts listed in Schedule I of the NGT Act, which matters for the tribunal's jurisdiction.
What is the penalty for illegal tree felling in Delhi?
On paper, the penalty is modest. Section 24 of the Act provides imprisonment up to one year, or a fine up to ₹1,000, or both, for contravening the Act or an order under it. Section 21 allows an empowered officer to compound the offence by accepting a sum of up to ₹10,000 together with the value of the timber or produce, after which no further proceedings are taken. Where a company or other organisation is responsible, section 23 makes the persons in charge of its business liable too, unless they show the offence happened without their knowledge despite due diligence.
The real consequences come from elsewhere. The Tree Officer can order compensatory planting and plant at the offender's cost. The court can order forfeiture of the timber, tools and vehicle. Where felling breaks an order of the Supreme Court or the High Court, the people responsible face contempt. In 2025 the Supreme Court held officials of a public body in contempt over unauthorised felling in the southern Ridge and directed large-scale afforestation. The NGT can impose environmental compensation, which is not limited by the ₹1,000 figure in the Act.
This matters when you decide what to ask for. A complaint that only seeks a fine will lead to a compounding receipt. A complaint that asks for seizure, a replanting order with numbers and species, maintenance for a fixed period, and a report on compliance, gives the authority a clear list to act on and gives you something to enforce later.
When should you take illegal tree felling to the NGT?
The NGT is the right forum when the felling raises a substantial question relating to the environment and arises from one of the seven Acts listed in Schedule I of the National Green Tribunal Act 2010, such as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam 1980 or the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. The Delhi Preservation of Trees Act is not itself in that list, but the tribunal has heard many Delhi tree matters where the felling formed part of wider environmental damage: a stretch of trees cleared for a project, felling in or near forest land, or repeated failures by an agency to protect trees.
An original application under section 14 must be filed within six months of the date the cause of action first arose, and the tribunal may allow a further 60 days for sufficient cause. A claim for relief, restitution of the environment or compensation under section 15 has a five-year limit. In practice the tribunal often begins by asking the forest department and the pollution control committee for a report, or forms a joint committee to inspect the site, and then decides what restoration or compensation is needed.
The NGT is less suited to a single tree cut by a neighbour. For that, the Tree Officer and, if needed, the police are faster and cheaper. Our post on how to file an application in the NGT covers the format, fee and hearing stages.
Delhi High Court or NGT: which forum fits your case?
The Delhi High Court is the usual forum when the complaint is about the authorities themselves. If the Tree Officer has granted permission without inspecting the site, without reasons, or without considering alternatives, or if complaints have been ignored for months, a writ petition under Article 226 asks the court to direct the authority to do its legal duty. The High Court has also been supervising the subject of pruning and tree permissions for some years, and a fresh violation of its directions may be raised through a contempt petition. Our posts on a writ petition in the Delhi High Court and contempt when a court order is not followed explain both routes.
The NGT suits cases where the main need is environmental restoration and compensation, especially where several trees or a green belt are involved and technical inspection will help. Where the matter concerns the public at large and not just your property, the case may be framed as a public interest petition; our post on how to file a PIL sets out what courts expect before they entertain one.
Choose one forum. Filing the same grievance before the High Court and the NGT at the same time usually leads to one of them declining to hear it, and wastes the months that the trees do not have.
Here's a made-up example: seven trees and a parking plan
Here's a made-up example. A residents' welfare association in a Dwarka sector learns on a Sunday morning that a contractor has started cutting a row of seven neem and jamun trees along the service lane behind its blocks. A shopkeeper on the main road wants the space for parking. One resident films the cutting and the tractor's number plate; another calls 112. The PCR van stops the work after three trees are down.
That afternoon the RWA secretary emails the Deputy Conservator of Forests of the division, attaching the video, the photos of the three stumps and four standing trees, the PCR call time and the DD entry number, and a map pin. The complaint asks for a site inspection, seizure of the cut timber, action against the contractor and the person who engaged him, and an order to replant. A copy goes to the MCD horticulture office, since the lane is municipal land.
The forest guard visits on Monday, measures the stumps and seizes the timber. No permission had been applied for. The Tree Officer can now prosecute or compound the offence and direct compensatory planting with maintenance. If, a month later, the RWA finds the remaining four trees cemented at the base, it writes again with fresh photographs. Only if the authorities stop responding does it need to consider the High Court.
Trees choked by concrete, nails and wires
A common Delhi complaint is not felling but slow killing: footpaths paved right up to the trunk, tree guards rusting into the bark, advertisement boards nailed on, electric wires wound round the branches. Over the past decade, the NGT and the Delhi High Court have directed civic agencies to keep a clear area around tree bases free of concrete and to remove nails, boards and wires. The exact distance and the method are set by the agency's own instructions and the court orders, so check the current direction before you quote a figure.
Complaints about choking go first to the agency that owns the footpath or road, usually the MCD, NDMC or PWD, with a copy to the forest department. Photographs taken over several weeks, showing the concrete being laid or the nails being hammered in, are much stronger than a single picture. If the agency itself is doing the paving, a short written complaint before the work finishes is far more useful than a long one after.
If you are the one accused of cutting a tree
Sometimes the person reading this has received the notice. An owner who cut a tree to repair a wall, or lopped it heavily before Diwali, may get a show cause notice from the Tree Officer, a seizure memo, or a call from the local police. Do not ignore it, and do not sign a statement admitting facts you have not checked. Find out exactly what the authority says was done: which tree, when, how much was cut, and under which section.
If the tree was dangerous, show the evidence: photographs before cutting, earlier complaints to the MCD or forest department, and the report you sent within 24 hours. If you have no such defence, compounding under section 21 and prompt compensatory planting is often the sensible course, since it ends the matter without a trial. If the Tree Officer has passed an order on permission or replanting that you think is wrong, the appeal under section 14 must be filed within 30 days. If an FIR has been registered, read our post on what to do when an FIR is registered against you and see our page on criminal cases in the Delhi courts.
A point Advocate B.K. Singh often makes to owners in this position is that the replanting order is the part they will live with longest. Agreeing to plant where you can actually maintain the saplings, and keeping photographs of them every few months, avoids a second round of notices a year later.
Mistakes people make in tree felling complaints
- Waiting until the next day. By then the timber is gone, the stump may be dug out and the soil levelled. Same-day photographs and a same-day complaint carry the most weight.
- Complaining only by phone. Calls leave no record you can rely on later. Always follow a call with an email or letter to the Tree Officer and keep proof of sending.
- Writing to every authority at once. A long email to ten officers often gets forwarded around with no one acting. Send it to the Tree Officer and the land-owning agency, and copy others only if needed.
- Not asking for specific action. Ask for inspection, seizure, prosecution or compounding, a replanting order and a compliance report. A vague complaint gets a vague reply.
- Confronting the workers physically. It can lead to a counter-complaint and a police case against you. Film, call 112 and let the officers handle it.
- Going to court before the authority. Courts and the NGT generally expect you to have complained to the Tree Officer first. Your written complaints and the lack of response form the base of any petition.
- Assuming small trees do not count. A trunk 5 cm thick at 30 cm height is a tree under the Act. Saplings planted by residents are protected once they reach that size.
What to do this week if trees near you are being cut
Use this as a short checklist. Most of it takes an evening.
- Save the original photo and video files and back them up
- Write down the PCR call time, the officer's name and the DD entry number
- Find out which forest division covers your area and get the Tree Officer's email
- Send the written complaint with photographs and a map pin, and keep proof
- Copy the land-owning agency if the tree was on public land
- Ask the site for the permission order and photograph it if shown
- File an RTI application for any permission and the inspection report
- Diary a follow-up date one week later
- If you are an RWA, pass a short resolution naming one person to follow up
- Photograph the remaining trees, their bases and any marking numbers
Getting the papers looked at
Most tree felling complaints are resolved at the level of the Tree Officer if the complaint is prompt, specific and backed by photographs. Court is for the cases where the authority will not act, where the felling is large, or where an agency keeps repeating the same violation. Before you file anything in the High Court or the NGT, make sure you have the record: complaints, replies, RTI answers and the permission, if any.
If you would like an advocate to read your complaint and the replies before you decide on a forum, the team of Advocate B.K. Singh can review them and tell you which route fits and what the time limits are. You can send the details through our online legal enquiry form, read about his practice before courts and tribunals on Advocate B.K. Singh's profile, or see how property disputes connected with trees and boundary walls are handled on our civil law practice page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I cut a tree on my own property in Delhi?
Not without the Tree Officer's prior written permission under section 8 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994. The rule applies to private land, including your own house and garden. Only a tree in imminent danger of falling may be cut at once, and that must be reported to the Tree Officer within 24 hours.
Is pruning a tree allowed without permission in Delhi?
Light maintenance pruning is treated differently from heavy lopping, but the Act counts lopping and pollarding as felling. The Delhi High Court has insisted that pruning follow the Act and the forest department's guidelines. Check the current guidelines with the forest division before pruning anything more than small twigs.
What is the number to report tree cutting in Delhi?
If felling is happening right now, call 112 for the police. Then send a written complaint by email and post to the Deputy Conservator of Forests of the forest division covering the area. A written complaint with photographs is what starts formal action under the Act.
What is the fine for cutting a tree illegally in Delhi?
Section 24 provides imprisonment up to one year, a fine up to ₹1,000, or both. An empowered officer may compound the offence for up to ₹10,000 plus the value of the timber. The Tree Officer can also order compensatory planting, and the NGT can award environmental compensation beyond these figures.
How many saplings must be planted for one tree felled in Delhi?
The number is fixed by the Tree Officer in the permission order under section 10, and the Delhi government's policies and court directions guide it. The Delhi High Court has also set minimum standards for saplings and a five-year maintenance commitment. Check the permission order and the current standard operating procedure for the exact figure.
Can the NGT stop tree felling in Delhi?
Yes, where the case raises a substantial environmental question under one of the Acts in Schedule I of the NGT Act, the tribunal can pass interim orders, call for reports and order restoration. It is better suited to large or repeated felling than to a single tree. The application must be filed within six months of the cause of action, extendable by 60 days.
Who is the Tree Officer in Delhi?
The Tree Officer is a forest officer not below the rank of Deputy Conservator of Forests appointed by the Delhi government. In practice it is the Deputy Conservator of Forests of the forest division where the land is. The forest department's website lists the divisions and their offices.
Do government agencies need permission to cut trees in Delhi?
Yes. The PWD, DDA, MCD, NHAI and every other agency need the Tree Officer's permission like anyone else. For fifty or more trees, the Central Empowered Committee must also approve the permission under the Supreme Court's December 2024 order before felling.
What is deemed permission for tree felling in Delhi?
Section 9(4) of the Act says permission is deemed granted if the Tree Officer does not decide within the set period. In December 2024 the Supreme Court directed that no one may act on a deemed permission without its leave. In practice, felling without an express written permission is unsafe.
Can an RWA file a complaint about tree cutting?
Yes. An RWA can complain to the Tree Officer, the police and the civic agency, and can approach the High Court or the NGT if no action follows. A short committee resolution authorising the complaint and naming one person to follow up helps when the matter reaches a court.
How do I challenge a tree felling permission in Delhi?
A person aggrieved by the Tree Officer's order may appeal to the Appellate Authority within 30 days under section 14. Where the permission was granted without inspection or reasons, or in breach of court directions, a writ petition in the Delhi High Court is the usual route. For fifty or more trees, the Central Empowered Committee's role should also be raised.
Is putting concrete around a tree illegal in Delhi?
Courts and the NGT have directed civic agencies in Delhi to keep tree bases free of concrete, because paving chokes the roots and slowly kills the tree. Killing a tree this way can amount to felling under the Act. Complain to the agency that owns the footpath, with a copy to the forest department, and keep dated photographs.
Written and reviewed at B.K. Singh & Associates
Advocate B.K. Singh
Founder of B.K. Singh & Associates. MCA, LL.B., LL.M., with more than twenty years of practice before the Supreme Court, the Delhi High Court, district courts and tribunals across Delhi NCR. This article explains the general law as of 24 October 2026; it is not legal advice on your facts.