(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act or in any other law for the time being in force, the Tree Authority may, subject to such terms and conditions as it may specify in that behalf, allow by a written permission any individual, body corporate or institution to adopt any tree for such period as may be specified in the permission, and during such period the said individual, body corporate or institution shall be responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the said tree.
(2) Where any order is made * * * under sections 8, 9 and 10, in lieu of planting a new tree, the Tree Authority may by written permission allow the person concerned to adopt a tree specified by it and then the person shall be responsible for the maintenance and preservation of that tree for such period as may be specified [by the Tree Authority] :
[Provided that, the trees to be adopted shall be less than one year old and their number shall not be less than the number of trees, which the person concerned could have been required to plant under sub-section (5) of section 8, sub-section (1) of section 9 or sub-section (1) of section 10, as the case may be.]