Delhi govt to promote agroforestry by making it easier to harvest commercially-cultivated trees grown on pvt land

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) The Delhi government is planning to promote agroforestry by making it easier to harvest five commercially-cultivated tree species grown on private land, with officials saying the proposed changes are expected to encourage more farmers to take up commercial-tree plantations. A draft notification accessed by PTI proposes the Delhi Preservation of Trees (Agro-forestry and Exempted Plantation Species) Rules, 2026, under which the process for harvesting Poplar, Safeda (Eucalyptus), Sejhana (Moringa), Gamari and Malabar Neem would be simplified. The forest department has invited comments, suggestions and objections on the draft rules till July 30 before they are finalised. "The objective is to promote agroforestry in Delhi. Farmers and private landowners have often been reluctant to grow commercial tree species because of the cumbersome procedures involved in harvesting them after they mature. By simplifying the process, we hope to encourage more plantations, increase the green cover and boost farmers' incomes," an official aware of the matter told PTI. The official said under the existing system, landowners growing these species for commercial purposes have to obtain permission for felling, separately complete transit-related formalities for transporting the timber and undertake compensatory plantation after harvesting. "The current procedure is cumbersome. If anyone cuts these trees for commercial use, they have to obtain permission, separately complete transit-related procedures and also undertake mandatory plantation. For these five species, the process is being simplified. Permissions will be easier to obtain, there will be no separate transit permit and no requirement for compensatory plantation," the official said. The draft says plantation and agroforestry activities taken up by private landowners have not received enough encouragement because of the procedures involved in getting permission to fell and transport trees. It says the lack of a simple and transparent system has discouraged landowners from planting these trees, as those grown for agroforestry or commercial purposes become difficult to harvest once they mature. According to the notification, promoting agroforestry on private land is important for increasing green cover, improving carbon sequestration, adding to timber and biomass supply, reducing pressure on natural forests, supporting livelihoods and helping tackle climate change. The document also notes that several states and Union territories have already adopted simpler rules for plantation species grown on private land. It says Delhi's proposed rules seek to bring its regulatory framework in line with these practices, while keeping safeguards in place to protect forests, ridge areas and trees protected under law or court orders. It also notes that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued model rules and guidelines for felling trees on agricultural and private land to promote agroforestry, reduce regulatory hurdles and ensure safeguards through digital registration and verification. The proposed rules will apply only to private land in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. These will not apply to forests, ridge areas, deemed forests or land where felling trees is prohibited or restricted under any law or by the order of a court or a tribunal. The exemption will also not apply in cases involving forest-status disputes, environmental violations, compensatory-afforestation obligations or existing court directions. Under the proposal, the owners of private land growing the five exempted species will have to register their plantations on the forest department's e-Forest portal by uploading ownership documents, geo-tagged photographs, a KML file of the land and details of the species and number of trees. The portal will then generate a plantation registration certificate. For felling up to 10 trees, the owner will have to upload the plantation registration certificate along with geo-tagged photographs of the trees proposed to be felled. If no objection is raised, the tree officer will issue permission within seven working days. For felling more than 10 trees, the owner will have to submit an intimation on the portal. The tree officer will inspect the site within 14 working days and, if no objection is raised, permission will be issued within three weeks. The draft says objections can only be based on violations of the proposed rules or any law or directions issued by a court or a tribunal. The proposal also removes the need for a separate transit permit for the timber obtained from these exempted plantation species. Instead, the felling permission issued by the tree officer will serve as the transport document, although the department may carry out random checks to prevent misuse. It also proposes that trees felled under these rules will not require compensatory plantation under section 8 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act. However, the proposed exemptions will not apply to trees specifically protected under any law or to plantations where felling is prohibited or restricted by a court or a tribunal. The government will also have the power to amend the list of exempted plantation species or procedural requirements through a notification in public interest. Officials said the proposal is aimed at balancing environmental protection with the need to encourage agroforestry on private land. "The idea is not to dilute protections for forests or the Ridge. These are commercially-cultivated species grown by farmers and private landowners. We want to make it easier for them to harvest these trees once they mature, so that more people are encouraged to take up agroforestry. That will help improve the green cover, while also giving farmers better returns," an official said. The government will consider the comments and suggestions received during the public consultation before taking a final decision on notifying the rules. PTI SGV RC