Delhi HC greenlights the transplanting of 26 trees for Supreme Court expansion

The Delhi High Court has allowed the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to transplant 26 trees for the expansion of the Supreme Court building.

Justice Jasmeet Singh said of the 26 trees to be transplanted within the top court's premises, 16 would be transplanted along the periphery of its garden whereas the rest would go near the administrative buildings complex.

The CPWD also made a compensatory plantation of 260 trees in Sundar Nursery, the judge said.

"Given that the proposed project pertains to the expansion of the Supreme Court building to accommodate additional courtrooms, including a dedicated constitutional court, as well as chambers for judges and essential facilities for lawyers and litigants, the present application needs to be allowed," the court said on March 26.

The order came on a plea filed by the CPWD seeking permission to transplant the trees.

While dealing with cases pertaining to preservation and protection of trees in the capital, the court in 2023 ordered no permission for felling of trees would be granted in the capital.

The court clarified that its permission was subject to certain conditions, including the filing of an affidavit within two weeks by a responsible CPWD officer on the aspect of the status of the 26 transplanted trees and the 260 trees planted in Sundar Nursery.

The court sought a site-specific transplantation report and a yearly affidavit indicating the survival rate and the health of the transplanted trees aside from the compensatory plantation.

The CPWD would furnish photographs of the transplanted trees to enable the amici curiae appointed in the matter to see their upkeep and maintenance, it added.

The bench said every year, pruning of the 26 trees would be ensured in a scientific manner to ensure their rejuvenation, as the past transplantation of trees showed that there was heavy pruning of trees which resulted in the trees becoming "mere logs of wood incapable of rejuvenating".

The court asked the department to obtain necessary permissions from the municipal authorities concerned to see if more trees could be planted on the road leading to the Supreme Court, which was "enveloped with fully grown trees" until the expansion of Sundar Nagar Road.