Urban green spaces vanishing at the cost of development projects are extremely worrisome, given global warming and biodiversity loss. No wonder the green brigade sees red, leading to protests and legal interventions. It is high time development projects are planned carefully to minimize or avoid urban green losses with a thrust on sustainable practices, say environmentalists. TreeTake takes a look …
Food For Thought
*There is a small water body near a multi-story building behind Ekana stadium, where a pair of sarus cranes lives. The land has been sold to a developer, and as it gets reclaimed, the sarus pair moves further back. Where will it go once all the land is reclaimed?
*Bangalore nurseries are huge, running into miles and miles, and doing business worth crores. They constitute the biggest green supply hub in India, supplying large trees for the gardens of even celebrities and film stars. They supply big and fully grown trees, 10-15 and even 50 years old, and even undertake to plant them for you with the help of cranes and the use of technology. With such help, one can create a forest block overnight. So, if the authorities clear a patch of trees for some development work, they should be told to create another such green patch, planting 10-15-year-old trees and not saplings. Only then would the loss of trees be compensated.
*Forests should be planted in urban areas, with dense greenery to act as green lungs. If 50 large trees are planted in one acre of land, they would act as oxygen pumps. So, making beautiful parks and ticketing them should be replaced by forest blocks where people can be close to nature, biodiversity like birds and squirrels, etc., can be promoted, and the environment can be benefited.
The development versus environment debate is raging once again in the aftermath of Hyderabad’s Kancha Gachibowli forest row. The forest’s proposed sacrifice for a development project triggered massive protests, leading to judicial intervention. To note, Kancha Gachibowli has around 700 plant species and 237 bird species, besides wild animals. It is a natural and open ecosystem which serves as the green lung of the city. No wonder the greens were aghast to think what havoc its decimation would wreak on biodiversity.
But this is not a lone incident. All over the country, growing population, increasing urban sprawls and subsequent development works to cater to their needs are devouring urban green belts and pockets. According to a recent study by the School of Environmental Studies (Cusat), Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, and FLAME University, there was an alarming loss of green zones in Kochi and its suburbs over the past two decades, with a 126% surge in built-up areas across the taluks of Kanayannur, Kochi, Kunnathunad, Aluva, and North Paravur between 2001 and 2020. Environmentalists have warned that urbanization is contributing to increased pollution, which could lead to rising cases of lung diseases and allergies, particularly in children, as the loss of green cover is exacerbating ecological imbalances.
In Uttarakhand, the Nainital high court have halted the felling of 3,300 trees for the Rishikesh-Bhaniawala Road project. Earlier, at least 2,000 trees were felled for road widening on Sahastradhara Road, leading to protests. Protests are ongoing against the proposed felling of 2,000 trees in Khalanga Forest for a water reservoir. A recent protest march was organized against the proposed felling of 28,000 trees for infrastructure projects. Last year, over 7,500 trees were cut for a 16-km section of the Delhi-Dehradun expressway. Of the felled trees on the Ganeshpur-Dehradun section of the project, 4,983 were in Uttarakhand, while 2,592 were in Uttar Pradesh, the NHAI said in response to a query filed under provisions of the Right To Information (RTI) Act.
In the RTI query, Noida-based social activist Amit Gupta also sought to know the status of replantation and survival of trees on the 15.8-km-long section of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway. In his response, Pankaj Kumar Mourya, the public information officer-cum-project director, said 155 trees were translocated in Uttar Pradesh and 121 of them survived the translocation. According to the compensatory afforestation scheme submitted by the forest departments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, 1,76,050 trees were to be planted to make up for the felling of 7,575 trees, the NHAI said.
But, does replantation really compensate for the loss?
No, said former head of forest force and environmentalist Mohammad Ahsan, introducing an entirely new dimension. He said loss of trees could never be compensated, even by planting twice the number of those felled. “If trees are cut in place A and planted in place B, the latter would get benefit, but the ecological loss that place A suffered would remain. It would not be compensated. For projects such as the Char Dham road project, entire jungles are cut down. A jungle is an ecosystem in itself. But trees planted in lieu of constitute a monoculture, which does not have the same value. Besides this, it also depends on what species of trees are planted. A Banyan tree is an ecosystem, a city in itself, hosting birds, insects, reptiles, and a whole lot of biodiversity. Would a date palm or eucalyptus tree do the same? So, the ecological loss cannot be compensated,” he said, adding that different tree species have different ecological value for different places. He said the solution was in political and bureaucratic will. It should be debated how to minimize green losses at the time of planning and designing a development project.
It is a known fact now that deforestation, especially in tropical and sub-tropical regions, has an adverse effect on rainfall, agriculture, water systems, human health, microclimates, and overall ecosystems. More importantly, urban green belts lower temperature in cities and act as green lungs, which is why environmentalists are stressing on physical protection and on-the-ground surveying and mapping of trees to check their sudden disappearance.
As the planet grapples with a climate crisis as well as a biodiversity crisis, urban green spaces also assume importance as wildlife habitats. There is sometimes a tacit assumption that wildlife cannot thrive in urban areas, but landscaping parks and home gardens with native plants leads to vastly increased diversity of insects and birds, which in turn leads to greater diversity throughout the food chain.
Green activist Brij Khandelwal, convenor of the River Connect campaign in Agra, said: “Urban green spaces are vanishing everywhere. In one night, 400 trees were cut in Dalmia Farm in Vrindavan, the case is still on in court. Such activity is going on everywhere in India, due to the pressure of urbanization. People need housing, but trees are also needed. Ek bada delicate sa balance bana kar rakhna hai. Alternatives will have to be found. Land is taken basically for economic activity, and trees on that land are the first casualty. Such activity not only hits biodiversity but also has an adverse impact on climate change. Governments are development-oriented, making e-ways and economic clusters. Undertakings are given in courts about planting twice the number of trees uprooted or felled, but the planted saplings would take a lot of time to become trees. So other solutions will have to be found, and hopefully some are being found. Vertical gardens and Miyawaki forests are known concepts and can offer some relief. But they are not large-scale.”
What can be done is to set up block forests in city areas. Earmark one acre of fenced land, install a pump set, and plant trees, keeping a caretaker. The parks in cities should be replaced by city forests. Such wilderness forests are common in Japan. But in India, parks are made with ornamental plants. Forests should be planted in urban areas, with dense greenery to act as green lungs. If 50 large trees are planted in one acre of land, they would act as oxygen pumps. So, making beautiful parks and ticketing them should be replaced by forest blocks where people can be close to nature, biodiversity like birds and squirrels, etc., can be promoted, and the environment can be benefited. In Tokyo, such forest blocks are found in the middle of the city. Now that gym culture is prevalent, parks are hardly used for walks and exercise, etc. All such parks should be converted into forest blocks, and big trees should be planted there, he opined.
“As for the question on how to plant large or fully grown trees, let me explain this, too. Recently, I went to Bangalore and visited some nurseries there. These nurseries are huge, running into miles and miles, and doing business worth crores. They constitute the biggest green supply hub in India, supplying large trees for the gardens of even celebrities and film stars. They supply big and fully grown trees, 10- 15 and even 50 years old, and even undertake to plant them for you with the help of cranes and the use of technology. With such help, one can create a forest block overnight. People who are building houses there are getting such trees planted instead of small plants. Ek hi raat mein ghar mein jungle ban jata hai. In Mysore, four–five large trees, worth Rs 1 lakh, were planted in the garden of my daughter’s house. So, then I realized this was also a solution to combat vanishing urban greenery. It was a nursery owner who suggested the idea of converting parks into forest blocks and vertical gardens along roadsides to cut pollution to some extent. The survival rate of plants is very poor. So, if the authorities clear a patch of trees for some development work, they should be told to create another such green patch, planting 10-15-year-old trees and not saplings. Only then would the loss of trees be compensated. In Agra, we are trying to set up a bougainvillea capital to promote greenery and also to keep monkeys at bay. It is a sturdy plant and does not require much maintenance. Being thorny, it keeps monkeys away. See, even villages are changing fast, becoming somewhat urban centres. On my recent visit to Kerala, I found several villages fully urbanized. Ab nai soch ke sath kam karna padega. Biodiversity experts and horticulturists should also be roped in to find solutions, I feel.”
Green activist and bird lover Kaushalendra Singh of Lucknow said: “Not sure about what others feel and think, but I am becoming used to hearing news about the government felling trees for not-so-important projects. Instant examples include the Leyland electric bus manufacturing facility at the erstwhile Scooters India Ltd factory site on Kanpur Road. When we learnt that a few thousand trees would be felled for the factory, we met the officer in charge at the site, but he very firmly told us that the trees would have to be felled. The second example is a proposal to develop a Night Safari at Kukrail forest, where, once again, a few thousand trees have to be felled to make space for the safari. Fellow conservationists are trying to get relief from the courts, but I have my doubts if any relief will come through. Unfortunately, courts accept the plea submitted by the government that, in lieu of the trees felled, a higher number of trees will be planted. It is not taken into consideration that 50/60-year-old trees are felled, and stick-like plants will be planted, which are prone to damage by humans and animals. The Awadh Shilp Gram has been built on two water bodies, which had a lot of aquatic plants and aquatic life. I had written to the then district magistrate, but to no avail. There is a small water body near a multi-story building behind Ekana Stadium, where a pair of sarus cranes lives. The land has been sold to a developer, and as it gets reclaimed, the sarus pair moves further back. Where will it go once all the land is reclaimed? Rampant tree felling not only hits biodiversity and impacts climate change but also leads to problems like urban monkey menace, as the simians make inroads in cities due to habitat loss. However, I feel every problem has a solution, provided one is willing to find it. It is high time the government declared that not a single tree would be felled for a project and alternatives would be found.”
Former senior forest official Anuj Saxena, however, had a different take. He said growing population and increasing urban sprawl necessitated development projects even at the cost of trees and green spaces. But instead of planting double or the same number of trees in lieu of those felled, the idea should be to increase the area under green cover. For instance, if trees were felled on one hectare of land, greenery should be planted on two hectares. He said some projects, like night safari, etc., increased awareness about nature and wildlife, so they were beneficial.
Way forward: Bring nature closer to home
Trees are the most one of the most important types of urban vegetation. They reduce air and water pollution, absorbing carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen, and reduce the urban heat island effect by shading buildings and streets. They provide the best habitat for native wildlife as well as conserving water, since native trees typically have lower water requirements than non-native species. It is wrong to think nature exists only outside cities, in suburbs, or in rural areas. It is high time nature was incorporated in urban areas to combat climate change, promote biodiversity, and make green spaces available to all.
BOX
Act before it is too late, clamours Green Brigade
Brij Khandelwal
Vrindavan, Agra, Hyderabad, and Mysore are in the news these days because of the mass slaughter of full-grown trees. Our cities, once vibrant mosaics of biodiversity and cultural reverence for nature, are being strangled by a relentless wave of deforestation, driven by developers and builders who prioritize profit over planetary survival. The clandestine felling of trees, often abetted by lax or complicit authorities, has reached a crisis point, with recent cases drawing the ire of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Tree lover and biodiversity expert Dr Mukul Pandya says: "These are not isolated acts of negligence but a systematic assault on India’s ecological foundation, fueled by unchecked urbanization. The consequences—crippling air pollution, urban heat islands, and escalating climate change risks—are turning cities into civilizational sinks. It is time for a radical reckoning. India must fast-track green solutions like Miyawaki forests, vertical gardens, block forestry, and riverbank restoration to reclaim its urban landscapes as breathable, sustainable spaces."
Environmentalist Dr Devashish Bhattacharya says: "The scale of ecological vandalism is staggering, with recent cases underscoring the audacity of developers and the failure of governance. In Telangana’s Kancha Gachibowli, the Supreme Court intervened in April 2025 to halt large-scale tree felling across 100 acres of forest land near the University of Hyderabad, where the state government was accused of unauthorized deforestation for development projects. The court, expressing outrage, banned further felling and prioritized restoring the ecosystem, slamming the government for justifying ‘disturbing the ecosystem’."
In Shimla, the NGT took up a complaint in January 2025 regarding illegal tree felling, ordering the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Municipal Commissioner to investigate non-compliance with a Himachal Pradesh High Court order on tree numbering. In Delhi’s Southern Ridge, the NGT addressed encroachment and deforestation in January 2025, noting that 307.46 hectares of reserve forest land remain under encroachment despite removal efforts. Beyond these, the NGT’s suo motu action in May 2024 highlighted a staggering loss of 2.33 million hectares of tree cover across India from 2000 to 2023, demanding explanations from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Survey of India.
Green activist Jagan Nath Poddar says: "In Vrindavan, sacred groves have been decimated for infrastructure, eroding both spiritual and ecological heritage. The investigations are on and we hope the guilty will be punished." Eco Club president Pradip Khandelwal says: "Agra’s green cover continues to shrink as commercial projects encroach on the Taj Mahal’s fragile ecosystem."
Activist Mukta Gupta says: "In Mysore, developers have razed tree-lined avenues for real estate, prompting public protests and judicial scrutiny. These cases, brought before the Supreme Court and NGT, expose a pattern: mature trees, vital carbon sinks and air purifiers, are sacrificed for short-term gains, with devastating long-term costs."
The fallout from this deforestation spree is catastrophic. Air pollution, a public health emergency, worsens as trees, capable of filtering PM2.5 and absorbing 22 kg of CO2 annually, are felled. Indian cities dominate global pollution rankings, with Delhi’s AQI often exceeding 400 and contributing to 1.6 million premature deaths yearly (Lancet, 2020). Urban heat islands, fueled by concrete sprawl, drive temperatures to unbearable levels, spiking energy demands.
Climate change impacts—erratic monsoons, flash floods, and droughts—are amplified as cities lose natural buffers. Bengaluru’s green cover has plummeted from 68% in the 1970s to under 15% today, while Mumbai’s mangroves vanish to reclamation projects. The social toll is equally grim. Green space deprivation exacerbates mental health issues and deepens inequality, as affluent enclaves hoard private gardens while marginalized communities suffocate in treeless slums.
India’s cities, once cultural and ecological hubs, risk becoming unlivable wastelands unless this trajectory is reversed. India must reject ornamental parks and embrace dense, functional green systems to combat this crisis. The following measures, grounded in proven techniques and recent judicial directives, can restore urban ecosystems:
Miyawaki forests: Dense, Fast-Growing Urban Lungs The Miyawaki technique, creating dense native forests that grow 10 times faster and sequester more carbon, is ideal for cities. Projects in Bengaluru’s Whitefield and Mumbai’s suburbs show success. Municipalities must mandate Miyawaki forests on public lands, highways, and institutional campuses, with CSR funding and citizen involvement to scale efforts.
Vertical gardens: Space-starved cities can adopt vertical gardens on flyovers, metro pillars, and building facades, as seen in Chennai’s metro stations. Green roofs, insulated with native plants, can cut building energy use by 20-30%. Tax incentives and building code mandates can drive adoption, cooling urban heat islands and filtering pollutants.
Forest blocks: Dense city forests, like Delhi’s Aravalli Biodiversity Park, must replace manicured parks. Block forestry—planting large patches of native trees—creates biodiversity hubs and carbon sinks. Cities should allocate 10-15% of land for such forests, with NGT-enforced anti-encroachment laws.
Greening riverbanks: Urban rivers like the Yamuna and Musi are ecological wastelands. Restoring their banks with native trees, as proposed in the NGT’s Yamuna Pollution Case, can prevent erosion and recharge groundwater. Community-led planting and judicial oversight can ensure success.
Amend the law: Amend the Forest Conservation Act to impose stricter penalties for illegal felling, with jail terms for developers and officials, as demanded in the Kancha Gachibowli case.
Use of technology: Mandate GIS-based tree censuses, as in Bengaluru, with citizen apps to track green cover.
Give NGT more teeth: Empower the NGT’s suo motu powers, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2021, to proactively address deforestation. The Supreme Court and NGT’s interventions in Kancha Gachibowli, Shimla, Southern Ridge, and nationwide tree cover loss are a clarion call.
Without green lungs, India’s cities will choke on their own ambition. We must act before the last tree falls, and our cities become relics of a lost civilization.
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