LAHORE: In a bid to give special protected status to ecologically significant trees, the government has enforced Public Parks, Greenbelts and Green Areas Protection & Regulated Emergency Transplantation Regulations 2026 across the province.

“We have enforced these regulations after notifying them. The law department will also issue a formal notification soon in this regard after we send a copy of the notified regulations approved by the Punjab Horticulture Authority (PHA) last week,” a senior official told Dawn.

Under the new rules and regulations notified under PHA Act-2025, special protected status to large, old and ecologically significant trees has been given in a bid to stop them from being cut down.

Any tree with a trunk wider than 36 inches or aged 30 years or more, has been classified as a `heritage tree’. These trees cannot be disturbed unless there is a strong reason — such as an immediate safety risk or severe disease — and only after a Technical Committee approves it.

Each district horticulture agency will, under the new rules, be liable to constitute a technical committee of independent experts — including arborists, foresters, environmentalists, and botanists — to review all requests to remove, prune, or transplant trees. The committee will look at the ecological value of each tree, its health.

Trunk wider than 36 inches classified as ‘heritage tree’

A public digital register of all heritage trees, including GPS locations and photographs, will be kept online. The rules also require that moving a tree must always be considered before cutting it down. If removal cannot be avoided, at least 20 new saplings must be planted for every tree felled. If a transplanted tree dies, that ratio rises to 50 saplings per tree. All replacement trees must be native, climate-resilient species and must be maintained for at least three years.

Arboricultural Impact Assessments (AIAs) will become mandatory for all major development projects that could affect existing trees. These assessments will evaluate potential damage and outline mitigation strategies before construction begins.

Uniform technical standards will be introduced for tree transplantation, protection during construction, and post-transplant care to improve survival rates and reduce damage during development activities.

A province-wide Geographic Information System (GIS) will be developed to create a detailed inventory of urban trees, enabling real-time mapping, tracking, and monitoring for planning and conservation purposes.

The regulations introduce strict measures to protect public parks and green belts from encroachment, commercial exploitation, and environmental degradation. The PHA will act against illegal occupation, land conversion, and misuse of designated green spaces.

Limited use of parks for events or commercial activities will be permitted, but only on a temporary and tightly regulated basis. Officials will ensure that any such use must not damage the ecological balance, recreational value, or visual appeal of these spaces. Public access,

advertising, installation of utilities, and construction activity in and around parks will be regulated to prevent unchecked commercialisation.

No construction, development, or land-use project may proceed if it involves cutting, damaging, moving, or affecting trees, unless a written No Objection Certificate (NOC) has been obtained from the relevant horticulture agency. The requirement applies to both public and private projects.

The NOC will only be issued after a technical review of the project. A special technical committee of the horticulture agency will examine the details and decide whether the project can go ahead.

A transparent, time-bound grievance redressal system will be established to allow members of the public to report violations. PHA will be required to act on complaints within 15 days. Complaints against a district agency may be referred directly to the provincial body.

The authority will appoint dedicated tree officers to inspect trees, maintain digital records, process applications, oversee replanting and enforce compliance. Violations carry penalties of up to one year in prison, a fine of up to Rs500,000, or both. The regulations have come into force immediately.

The regulations were prompted by the need for a uniform policy governing the protection, conservation and maintenance of green cover across the province. The framework will ensure that all 21 district horticulture agencies under the provincial body follow consistent rules and standards.

A similar framework already exists in the 2013 Lahore Canal Heritage Act, which protects the canal stretch from Jallo to Thokar Niaz Beg, including its banks and green belts. While the area remains open to public use, the law strictly prohibits construction, land cultivation, and any damage or removal of trees and plants.

According to PHA Director General Raja Mansoor Ahmad, the goal is to set measurable targets to increase urban forest canopy and carry out annual performance reviews, with results to be made public to ensure transparency and accountability.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2026