HC orders power utilities to plant 50K trees in 6 months

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the three power utilities in Haryana to plant 50,000 trees across the state within six months with active coordination from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests. “The sustained presence of trees will offer immeasurable advantage to even successive generations,” Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri said.

The direction came in a bunch of 38 petitions – 30 against the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), five against Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) and three against Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL). Justice Puri said 30,000 trees would be planted by UHBVNL, and 10,000 each by DHBVNL and HVPNL.

The court made it clear that the plantation would preferably comprise trees having medicinal value. The utilities were also directed to identify areas most in need of plantation, depending on soil type, topography, and tree variety, in consultation with the Forest Department.

The plantation exercise was directed to be completed within six months from receipt of the order’s certified copy. The respondent utilities were also directed to supervise the growth of the trees at their own cost for the next three years.

Justice Puri further directed that a report on the number of surviving trees would be submitted to it with certification from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, first after the six-month period and again after three years. The registry was directed to list the matter for compliance in January 2026, and subsequently in January 2029.

The judgment was also directed to be forwarded to the Chief Secretary, Secretary, Union Department of Personnel and Training, and Haryana Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, apart from other official respondents in all connected cases.

The court had examined serious procedural irregularities by quasi-judicial and administrative authorities in matters relating to service jurisprudence. The court found that the method and process adopted by these authorities deviated from the settled principles of administrative law.

The directions came as Justice Puri observed that orders were passed by officials who lacked the jurisdiction to do so. To legitimise such actions, the officials included notes claiming that the orders were passed “with the approval of the competent authority.” But the so-called approvals were often mere “notings" on files, without any formal or speaking orders.

Haryana Tribune