GCC announces 1 lakh fine for illegal tree felling from Jan 12

Chennai: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has announced that anyone felling trees in public spaces without permission will now face a 1 lakh fine. Starting Jan 12, anyone cutting, pruning or removing trees must seek the corporation's permission through the GCC website or the Namma Chennai app.The corporation also warned of fines of up to 15,000 for chopping branches without approval, or harming trees by driving nails into them, fixing advertisement boards or wrapping decorative lights around tree trunks.The earlier system of submitting applications directly through the forest department has been withdrawn. Under the new mechanism, both govt and private applicants seeking permission to remove trees, prune branches, transplant trees or clear dried-up trees within corporation limits must apply through the Green Committee portal on the GCC website. "The shift to a digital platform is aimed at cutting down on delays and ensuring faster and more transparent decision-making," said a senior GCC official.GCC park officials, forest department personnel and social activists will inspect the spot before applications are placed before the Green Committee for approval, he said. Applicants will receive updates on the status of their requests through SMS alerts.The move is part of broader efforts to protect and expand the city's green cover through large-scale plantation drives, creation of micro-forests and stricter enforcement against violations. Environmentalists say careful pruning of avenue trees ensures public safety by maintaining clearances over roads, sidewalks, and utilities while preserving tree health. "Earlier, the forest department only regulated sandalwood tree felling, while cutting other trees did not require permission," said Vetriselvan of Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental NGO. "The reduction in green cover across the city has led to a rise in temperatures. Imposing such rules and penalty would help reduce heat," he said.Residents complained that trees cut for infrastructure projects in areas such as Madipakkam were never replaced as per protocol. "This rule must apply to other govt departments too," said K Balakrishna, a resident of Madipakkam. "Many trees in our area were cut for construction of the UPHC, but no replanting was done," he said.