The order clubbed it with the buttonwood mangrove — a non-native invasive species — and declared that the saptaparni's pollen was a cause of asthma and respiratory distress. 

The order followed an August 2025 recommendation by the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee, which had asked states to reconsider planting the buttonwood mangrove, describing it as a “green desert” that depletes groundwater and overwhelms native vegetation. Five states, including Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, had already issued similar directives. Madhya Pradesh went a step further, adding the saptaparni to the list.

When 101Reporters sought evidence from the authorities for the claim that the saptaparni's pollen causes respiratory illness and warrants removal, none was provided. There is no Madhya Pradesh-specific study, and no large-scale epidemiological research anywhere in India, that establishes a direct causal link between the tree and respiratory illness, AK Bhattacharya, a retired Indian Forest Service officer and former head of the Green Highways Division under the National Highways Authority of India, told 101Reporters.

A city struggling with air quality

Bhopal is not a city that can afford to lose trees. Air quality in Bhopal has stayed consistently poor. PM10 levels at TT Nagar were almost double the national limit every year from 2021 to 2025, peaking in 2022. Even though PM2.5 dropped to 38.94 µg/m³ in 2025, it remains far above the WHO guideline. Meanwhile, the number of “very poor” air quality days has doubled since 2020.  

Into this crisis, the saptaparni fits almost perfectly. A 2023 global assessment published in Springer’s Water, Air & Soil Pollution rates it as “best performer” for urban air pollution mitigation.

According to Bhattacharya, the saptaparni was chosen for afforestation and plantation campaigns as it is a hardy species that can withstand urban vagaries, including poor soils and water scarcity, in addition to pollution. 

More importantly, the saptaparni is not an outsider. It is a native species with a documented presence across the sub-Himalayan tract, West Bengal, Bihar, Peninsular India, and the Andamans. Its bark has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, especially to treat asthma and bronchitis. The tree now accused of causing these conditions was once prescribed to cure them.

Experts speak

Bhattacharya said that to single out one species is to oversimplify a complex public health issue. He added that urban respiratory distress has multiple drivers such as PM 2.5 and PM 10 pollution, vehicular emissions, and various pollen sources. The retired forest officer acknowledged that the saptaparni’s latex can cause allergic reactions in some people, but added that many other plant species have the same property. 

Dr Vishwas Gupta, a Bhopal-based pulmonologist with ten years of practice in the city, said that he has not seen a single case where asthma became uncontrollable specifically because of a tree species. “Pollen-related allergies affect only a small subset of people and are often seasonal,” he said. “Respiratory illness in Bhopal is far more strongly linked to air pollution than to any individual tree.” 

The focus, he argued, should be on tackling air pollution and not removing a tree whose year-round benefits are well established. 

There is also the argument about increasing the tree cover in general. A global meta-analysis of 182 studies across 110 cities, published in Communications Earth & Environment, showed that urban trees can reduce pedestrian-level temperatures by up to 12°C. Another study published in Environmental Science & Technology found that every 10% increase in tree cover lowers daytime surface temperatures by about 0.25°C, with the strongest cooling seen in hotter, drier regions. It is this kind of cooling that helps Shiva and thousands like him survive the sting of the summer heat. 

Especially in Bhopal, where a study has found that the city’s green cover is shrinking by approximately 2.5% per year, projecting that only 9% would remain by 2031. 

Administrative gaps

Almost half a year after the order was passed, environmental activist Ajay Dubey told 101Reporters that he has not seen any removal of saptaparni trees. “Compliance with such an order is almost impossible,” he said. The order has established no geo-verification, no agency oversight, no chain of accountability. In a state notorious for wood smuggling, he warned that the ambiguity itself is dangerous. “This order can be misused… People might cut other trees under the garb of saptaparni. Who will check this when the woods are brought down?” he said. 

The state's own Urban Tree Protection Act, the MP Vrikshon Ka Parirakshan (Nagariya Kshetra) Adhiniyam, 2001, requires individual tree inspection, a written inquiry, and a reasoned decision within 30 days before any removal. Unauthorised felling carries up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of Rs 50,000. Section 21 of the same act empowers the state to protect any class of trees by notification. This mechanism has not been invoked for the saptaparni. 

The legal authority to cut trees was itself under judicial scrutiny when the order was issued. The MP High Court had ruled in December 2024 that municipal commissioners could not authorise their own tree felling. It directed in February 2026 that no trees be cut on permissions already granted. The state has since reportedly transferred tree-cutting authority to the Forest Department, though this could not be independently verified. The Bhopal Municipal Corporation, meanwhile, said it is still awaiting an official directive. 

Cover Image  - Saptparni tree (Photo - Huneza Khan, 101Reporters)