The Delhi High Court on Tuesday expressed its reservation over a proposal to transplant over 70 trees from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) campus for the construction of a new block while referring to the rising pollution levels in the national capital.
Justice Jasmeet Singh orally remarked that planting trees somewhere else wouldn’t help the city, which was faced with concerning levels of air pollution.
Referring to the AQI level in the capital, the court asked AIIMS to file the structural plan of its upcoming Critical Care Centre, which requires removal of 75 trees, and its plan for the proposed transplantation.
An AIIMS official and an architect appearing before the court said while five trees with more than 2m girth would be transplanted within the campus, the remaining would be sent to Jaunapur.
The court asked the deputy conservator of forests (DCF) concerned to inspect the trees in question to determine their age and girth besides asking AIIMS why all the trees were not being transplanted in the campus.
”Trees definitely help in reducing the level of (pollution) severity. If you transplant 75 (trees) in Jaunapur, it will not help people here.. This is not acceptable. You do it in AIIMS campus. Do substantial, do 80 per cent. I will not permit you to transplant (only five),” the judge remarked.
The AIIMS officials said they would try to transplant around 40 per cent of the trees in the campus.
The judge said although infrastructure projects were important, those concerned should ”try and strike a balance” and consult the forest officials at the time of inception of any development project.
”What is the air quality today? It is GRAP 2(stage), right?” the court asked.
It further underlined nobody was bothered about the air quality in the capital.
”You (Delhi government) should send out a notice to all the departments that without the DCF being consulted, permission will not be granted by you,” said the court.
The AIIMS officials informed the court removal of trees was required to construct a basement in the new block and assured it would carry out the compensatory plantation.
The lawyers appointed as amici curiae in the matter lamented the ”level of sensitivity” of the officials dealing with trees, saying it was the DCF who filed the plea seeking the transplantation.
The court also dealt with the damage caused to a tree in Delhi’s Defence Colony due to an ongoing construction.
The amici curiae, in the matter, said no action was taken by the DCF concerned in spite of a complaint and the helpline was of no help.
The amici curiae also spoke on the helpline to seek an update on the complaint.
Seeking the stand of the DCF in the matter, Justice Singh remarked, ”(We are) pushing the next generation into what kind of environment?” ”What good is it if they (helpline) can’t help anybody. They waste 10 minutes asking which is the agency (concerned) and then say we can’t do anything,” the judge remarked.
”Where does the common citizen go? There are only a few public spirited people who are carrying the mantle. Everybody else is against them — the system, your department, your officers. Please see the pollution levels today. Next three-four months, it will be severe,” the court observed.
The matter before the court pertains to felling of trees in the capital.
In August, 2023, the court had ordered that no permission for felling of trees would be granted, while noting authorities were recklessly granting permission to fell trees and there was a total non-application of mind.
The matter related to AIIMS will be heard in November.
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