SHC restrains cutting trees across Sindh, warns of environmental consequences

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has restrained authorities from cutting down any tree across the province and warned that it will have disastrous environmental consequences, especially in urban areas like Karachi.

A two-judge bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Amjad Ali Sahito ordered that permission for removal of any tree must be obtained from the district sessions judge. The written order added that in case of any necessity, the tree must be relocated to an appropriate location.

The bench directed Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab to ensure that no tree is cut down within the city unless absolutely necessary.

The bench was hearing a petition filed in 2022 by two lawyers who stated that track of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Red Line project was being laid down at the cost of cutting down 50,000 trees.

The bench observed that the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) had granted approval to the contract on the condition that the contractor would plant five trees for every single tree felled.

The details submitted by SEPA indicated that 3,802 trees were cut down in the course of the project but the obligation was not fulfilled by the contractor, it added.

The bench observed that Pakistan is among countries highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change despite contributing relatively little to global emissions.

It noted that Pakistan is already witnessing severe consequences, including unpredictable weather patterns, rising temperatures and frequent heatwaves particularly in urban areas like Karachi and across the Sindh province while deforestation of surrounding areas and urbanisation have significantly contributed to increase in temperatures and air pollution levels.

The court also observed that the cities like Karachi, where dense urbanisation had resulted in limited green cover, were particularly at risk and the provincial metropolis had suffered from extreme heatwaves in recent years resulting in loss of life and severe impacts on public health.

It said trees played a crucial role in regulating the earth’s temperature by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

It added that forests including the mangrove ecosystems along its coastlines are being depleted due to human activities, further worsening environmental conditions.

Cutting down trees, especially in urban areas like Karachi and rural parts of Sindh, leads to disastrous environmental consequences, it added.

The court noted that the need for tree plantation in Karachi and Sindh was undeniable due to severe impacts of global warming and climate change on the region and immediate action was required to ensure a sustainable and resilient future. The court ordered that no trees shall be cut down in the future within the province of Sindh.