Court stays felling of 42 trees

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 8

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today virtually axed UT’s plans to cut 42 healthy eucalyptus trees, at least for the time being. Acting on a petition filed in public interest, a Division Bench of the High Court stayed the felling of the trees after issuing a notice of motion to the Union of India, the UT Administration and other respondents.

The directions by the Bench of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli came on a petition filed by 20-year-old Jahan Geet Singh of Sector 27. In her petition, filed through counsel Aalok Jagga, the petitioner submitted that illegal cutting of trees in Chandigarh, without any basis, was extremely detrimental to the environment and ecology of the City Beautiful. As such, directions, especially in the nature of prohibition, were required to be issued for restraining theUT Chandigarh Administration and other respondents.

Directions were also sought to be issued to the respondents to place on record the permission for removal of 42 trees before quashing the same as healthy eucalyptus trees were being cut down without any need. Directions were also sought for placing on record the contract awarded for the purpose before quashing the same with a further prayer for carrying out an in-depth inquiry into the issue.

Describing herself as a BA LLB five-year course student, Jahan Geet submitted that she was verbally told that the contract of felling trees was given to a contractor for Rs 6 lakh. The petitioner added that she could have understood the need for cutting the trees had these been infested with termite. But the trees did not indicate any such thing.

She then asked the respondents the precise reason for allowing the trees to fall. In response, she was told that the value stood diminished after eucalyptus trees had grown for over 20 years. “The submission is that these trees have not been grown by the Administration for the purpose of commercialisation or to derive a particular commercial value out of the same. These trees are public property and were never grown or maintained for commercial purposes by the Department of Horticulture,” Jagga said.

Detrimental to environment, says petition      

The directions came on a petition filed by 20-year-old Jahan Geet Singh of Sector 27.  The petitioner submitted that illegal cutting of trees, without any basis, was detrimental to the environment and ecology.