Many lawyers practising in the Madras High Court Bench here were taken aback on Monday to see a Public Works Department (PWD) contractor having felled a few trees from the campus to make way for construction of an office for the exclusive use of Assistant Solicitor General.
“It is a very sorry state of affairs that the High Court has been continuously felling trees for one reason or the other. In June last, so many trees on the campus were felled for construction of CISF screening points and now it is for the ASG’s office. They are taking the trees for granted,” lamented a senior advocate.
When contacted, a PWD official showed the proceedings of the Registrar (Administration) granting permission to his department to cut down certain trees from the campus for construction of the ASG’s office at a cost of ₹ 22.99 lakh. He said the authorisation was granted following a request made by an Assistant Executive Engineer of the PWD.
The Registrar’s proceedings read: “On considering the request... I am directed to inform that permission is hereby granted to remove the trees standing in the proposed site of construction of building for Assistant Solicitor General of India at Madurai Bench and to start construction work immediately.
“I am also directed to inform you to consult with the Regional Forest Officer/Tree Officer before removing of the above said trees and do the needful. Further, I am to inform you not to cause any damage to structures adjacent to the proposed construction site and not cut trees etc., except those trees that are ordered to be removed, without prior permission from the High Court.”
Expressing shock over the High Court administration having given permission for felling some of the trees on the campus, another lawyer said: “We have seen people remodel their houses just to save a single tree on their plot. When such sensitivity is shown even by individuals, why can’t an institution such as the High Court also share the same concern for the environment.”
He recalled that it was The Hindu which reported first the felling down of several trees from the High Court campus here last year for construction of screening points to be utilised by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). “The news report led to filing of a public interest litigation petition in the principal seat of the High Court in Chennai.
“It was heard by the First Division Bench led by the then Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul who expressed surprise over such felling since it was done without his knowledge. Whenever it comes to development, the axe falls only on trees without realising how difficult it is to grow a tree and how easy to cut it down,” he rued.
