Should you cut down trees in your building premises?

Is it illegal and punishable to cut down a tree in your plot to carry out construction? 

YES, it is illegal to cut down a tree and the penalty for it is Rs. 10,000 or a 3-months imprisonment period per tree with a few exceptions like dead tree, small tree, tree rot etc. Also, to answer the next logical thought, is it worth the penalty amount to get more unobstructed space for construction? One must realize the many negatives and positives of cutting down a tree to answer this question.

The negatives of cutting down a tree

To begin with, you are disturbing the microclimate.

The climate about 100 m from the site is considered the microclimate. Chopping down a tree means you are removing an air purifier for humans, removing the shade a tree provides in that spot, misbalancing the temperature of the microclimate and if done on a large scale like all property growth area, it will have a drastic impact on the city.

Removing the tree roots is a very expensive process and causes soil loosening.

After removing the roots, the soil is loose for construction, and you need to put in soil stabilizers (which contain different types of soil, polymers, lime and municipal and industrial waste). This further increases the cost of construction. Also, ask yourself, is this what you want under your house?

It is more expensive to cut down the tree than retain it.

For the process of cutting down a tree you must follow the above paragraph and also realizing extra expenses without the foresight is a huge setback. Also, the guilt of cutting down a tree and not having it on the site stays with the owner.

Losing a dynamic design element to the building.

Building around a tree is a very religious and auspicious belief in many parts of the world since older times. We have through the course of the timeline always been respectful to nature par the last 100 years. Building around the tree seems like the right thing to do. There are many beautiful examples of including a tree into the building and looks far more dynamic than a regular building.

Losing all the benefits a tree has to offer.

A tree can offer various benefits like natural shade, cooler climate, moisture control etc. Also keep in mind, the unexpected benefits it provides like 
  • keeping rodents away (as birds are attracted to trees)
  • The calming effect of a tree
  • The Plesant smell and aroma of the particular tree.

The positives of cutting down a tree

After being aware of the negatives of cutting down a tree, we must also ask logical questions like the age of the tree, the underground root spread of the tree and the hazards it may cost to the residence.

If the age of the tree is very old, consider cutting it down and planting a new one if required.

Consult an arborist before taking any decision. The arborist will access various factors like the age of the tree, the rate at which roots spread and the depth of the roots. After considering all these, you can make an informed decision of cutting the tree or not based on the importance, hazard to building etc.


Some species of trees have rapid root growth and cause damage to the foundation of the building.

In these cases, taking permission from the government is mandatory and cutting down the tree can be carried out. Also, trees are either tall and short roots (Ashoka tree) and short and spread-out roots (banyan tree). While uprooting a banyan tree is impossible, these considerations must be taken before buying the plot.



To summarize, keeping a tree on your construction plot is always a plus and recommended unless its old or hazardous to the building. It also enhances the surroundings and the society you live in. 

So, this is it for this week. Please contact me at hiteshmummareddy@gmail.com or give me a call at +91-9618999244 if you are looking for an architect or Interior designer.



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