Delhi High Court orders plantation of at least 10,000 trees with fines recovered from Defaulting Litigants 

The Delhi High Court has issued an order for the plantation of at least 10,000 trees to utilize the money deposited as costs imposed on the defaulting parties in different cases including contempt and writ petitions. The deposited money in the court is over Rs 80 lakh.

Justice Najmi said, “These monies are to be utilized for the larger public good. Plantation of trees is one such exercise that the court would consider because trees, for as long as they are alive, be it for decades or for centuries, would incessantly and silently provide multiple benefits to the city; provided however, that people and the land-owning agencies do not interfere in or hinder their growth.”

The benefit that these trees would provide to the further generations of residents of Delhi by giving them fresh oxygen to breathe would be beyond imagination. The court further said, “they would also serve as carbon sump, to absorb in some measure, the atmospheric pollution which plagues the city all year round.”

The court had ordered that over Rs 70 lakh be transferred into bank account of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, GNCTD maintained at UCO Bank, Delhi High Court Branch, New Delhi.

It also directed that the money be utilized by the DCF, with the assistance of PWD, GNCTD to plant trees in such areas that may be identified by the appointed Court Commissioners- Shadan Farasat, ASC; Avishkar Singhvi, ASC GNCTD; Tushar Sannu, Standing Counsel, NDMC; Advocates Aditya N. Prasad and Atul Bhuchar.

The court said, “The local police shall assist the DCF as well as the Court Commissioners in the plantation exercise.”

It suggested to consider various types of trees including Jamun, Kadamb, Amaltas, for plantation along PWD or MCD roads. The learned Court Commissioners with the assistance of DCF will identify the sites for plantation of trees, the court said.

He also ordered that before plantation it should be considered that each tree shall have at least nursery-age of three-years while a minimum trunk height of 10 feet and “from the Rs. 70 lakhs at least 10,000/ trees shall be planted.”

The Court also said, “Status reports with photographs, be filed by the Tree Officer/DCF every six months. In case of default the case be listed for directions. However, for perusal of the first status report, list on 07.07.2023.”

Source: https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/delhi-high-court/delhi-high-court-tree-plantation-costs-defaulting-litigants-230899