India, July 11 -- In a significant relaxation of Delhi's tree-felling norms, the forest department has proposed exempting five commercially grown tree species from the existing permission regime for felling on private land, in a move aimed at promoting agro-forestry and reducing pressure on natural forests.

The department of forests and wildlife has issued the draft *Delhi Preservation of Trees (Agro-forestry and Exempted Plantation Species) Rules, 2026*, proposing to exempt poplar (Populus deltoides), eucalyptus, sejhana (Moringa oleifera), gamari (Gmelina arborea) and Malabar neem (Melia dubia). A public notice inviting objections and suggestions was issued on July 8.

At present, felling or heavily pruning a tree on private land witho...