The concern of the Gauhati High Court on planting a particular tree species in Guwahati that is harmful to the environment, as mentioned in a front-page news item of the Sunday edition of this newspaper, should be viewed with due urgency and seriousness by the Forest Department in particular as well as the Government of Assam in general. According to the news item, Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court Justice Sandeep Mehta has advised the government of Assam not to plant Conocarpus trees in the state under its urban area beautification projects as the tree is harmful for the environment as well as for human beings. It is important to note that the High Court said it had registered a suo moto PIL based on a report published in this newspaper, The Sentinel, in April this year, relating to the absence of approved working plans in 23 forest divisions of Assam. While it is a matter of significance that the present Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court has reintroduced the practise of registering suo moto PILs, in dealing with the said PIL, the Chief Justice, among other things, asked the Government of Assam not to plant conocarpus plants in the state. The Chief Justice has also reportedly mentioned that this particular tree species, known for its adverse impact on the environment, has already been planted in Arunachal Pradesh. There are several media reports available that refer to many studies that have shown that the pollen released from conocarpus flowers is a major cause of allergy, respiratory disease, and asthma. Moreover, its roots are also known to cause severe damage by destroying communication cables, drains, and even freshwater systems. It has also been reported that while animals like goats do not eat their leaves, insects and birds too do not make use of conocarpus plants. Though this tree is popular for landscaping roads and gardens around the world due to its low maintenance cost, at least one state—Telangana—has already banned its plantation due to its anti-environmental qualities. It may be recalled that eucalyptus, another tree species that forest officials in Assam have used to replace indigenous trees, is toxic, reduces other plant life by restricting the germination of other species, and is also detrimental to soil micro- and macrofauna. Karnataka has already banned eucalyptus.