The Chandigarh Administration has told the National Green Tribunal that 305 green trees were felled and 34 dead trees removed in June 2025 to make way for a proposed bulk material market in Sector 56 (West), while 986 mango saplings were planted as compensatory plantation.
The details were submitted in an affidavit filed by deputy commissioner-cum-estate officer Nishant Kumar Yadav in proceedings before the tribunal. The administration said the tree removal followed the prescribed procedure and that the required approvals were obtained before the land was secured for the project.
According to the affidavit, the executive engineer of the horticulture division obtained approval from the competent authority after a site inspection. Clearance was then granted on the recommendations of the Tree Felling Committee. The administration said the 305 green trees and 34 dead or dry trees standing at the project site were removed in June 2025.
The compensatory plantation was carried out on July 5, 2025, at Rajinder Garden in Sector 1, Chandigarh. The affidavit stated that 986 mango trees were planted against the removal of 305 green trees, exceeding the prescribed requirement. It also said the saplings were healthy and were being maintained by the concerned horticulture wing.
The project is intended to rehabilitate marble dealers, scrap dealers and furniture market units, according to the administration’s submission. The planned market is expected to include booths, association offices, warehouses, transport areas and related infrastructure. The administration described the project as an effort to bring scattered and unregulated commercial activities into a structured trade area.
The case places two elements of urban land management before the tribunal: the clearance of an existing tree cover for planned commercial infrastructure and the administration’s compliance with compensatory plantation requirements. The affidavit relies on the approvals, inspection process and plantation record to explain how the project proceeded.
The administration’s submission does not indicate when the bulk material market will become operational. The next steps in the matter will depend on the National Green Tribunal’s consideration of the affidavit and the records placed before it.
