Chandigarh, Aug. 7 -- Environmentalists have raised strong objections to the draft of the Punjab protection of trees bill, which the state government plans to table in the legislative assembly before November. Introduced in response to National Green Tribunal directives, the bill aims to regulate tree felling in urban and non-forest areas. However, experts say it lacks teeth and fails to address Punjab's broader environmental concerns.

Speaking at a press conference at the Press Club on Wednesday, a panel of environmentalists criticised the bill for limiting its jurisdiction to urban areas, which comprise just 4.16 percent of the state's geographical area. With 95.84 percent of Punjab being rural, the exclusion of these regions significa...