Self-Certification Method Implemented for Felling Trees in Jammu-Kashmir, Security Concerns Raised

The Jammu and Kashmir government, under its new 'Ease of Doing Business' framework, has brought the felling and transportation of trees under a self-certification mechanism. This decision has raised serious concerns and questions regarding the rules and security of removing trees for commercial and developmental activities.

According to a Businessline report, the felling and transportation of trees have been included in Schedule V of the Jammu and Kashmir Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026, as activities that can be carried out through self-certification at the district level. However, 'specified trees' have been excluded from this list under this rule.

Under this new provision, applicants can now provide a self-certificate stating that they have complied with the prescribed requirements, instead of following the traditional NOC-based process. The aim of this change is to bring ease to commercial activities, but there are fears that it will impact environmental security.

The government issued a notification on November 4 to operationalise the key provisions of this law. This notification includes important matters such as self-declaration, pre-establishment approvals, and protection from regular inspections. The notification refers to Section 23 and Schedules III and V of the Act, which provide for self-certification and third-party certification for prescribed activities.

However, Businessline notes that there is no separate clarification in this notification regarding the specific process for felling trees or the security measures for the same. A lack of transparency is observed in this matter.

Another important provision of this law is that enterprises possessing a valid 'Certificate of In-Principle Approval' (CIPA) will be protected from regular inspections for three years. According to the November 4 notification, inspections during this three-year period will be permitted only in cases of serious complaints, and that too will be possible only based on prescribed authorisation.

In the case of trees, the exceptions for 'specified trees' are very significant. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Preservation of Specified Trees Act, 1969, it is mandatory to obtain a permit from the prescribed authority to fell specified trees. Now, due to the new framework, the question has arisen as to which categories of trees will fall under self-certification and for which categories prior permission will be necessary as per the old law.

Khurshid Ahmed Ganie, Chairman of the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) and a retired IAS officer, has expressed deep concern over the broad implications of this law. He stated, "The recently passed J&K Ease of Doing Business Act, 2026 has the potential to significantly damage the quality of life of citizens living in Jammu-Kashmir and cause permanent damage to the environment of Jammu-Kashmir. This may seem like a broad statement, but unfortunately, it is not based on any imaginary logic."

Ganie further added, "Many provisions of the new law, if implemented in their current form, are likely to lead to such outcomes. These provisions could encourage large-scale land conversion, violation of master plan discipline and building bylaws, as well as the uncontrolled commercialisation of residential areas."

Thus, while the government is introducing facilities like self-certification to increase business ease, environmentalists and experts are warning about the resulting damage. In particular, bringing a sensitive activity like felling trees under self-declaration has increased the fear of depletion of natural resources.