Cut 22, Plant 110: High Court Orders Fortis Mohali to Plant 5x Trees

Balancing crucial healthcare infrastructure growth with environmental preservation, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted conditional permission to Fortis Hospital in Mohali to fell 22 mature trees to make way for the expansion of its clinical facilities. The relief comes bound by strict ecological accountability: a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor ordered the hospital administration to carry out five-fold compensatory afforestation by planting 110 new trees on its campus. Imposing a decade-long compliance protocol, the bench directed the healthcare institution to nurture the saplings for at least 10 years, implement individual geo-tagging, and publish verifiable survival metrics on its official public portal.Strict Green Conditions: Bench Mandates 5x Native Planting on 5-Acre Expansion PlotThe conditional order follows an undertaking submitted by hospital facility head Abhijeet Singh to support critical healthcare development:5.028-Acre Allotment: The proposed expansion of diagnostic and inpatient medical infrastructure is slated across 5.028 acres of land allotted by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).Compensatory Afforestation Ratio: In exchange for the 22 trees slated for removal, the hospital must plant a minimum of 110 saplings entirely within the hospital complex per the approved layout plan.Preserving Botanical Continuity: The division bench specified that the newly planted saplings must belong to the exact same botanical species as those earmarked for felling to maintain the local ecological balance.Geo-Tagging, Web Transparency, and 10-Year Upkeep ProtocolTo ensure that the compensatory drive does not end with symbolic planting, the High Court established an enforceable tracking framework:Individual Geo-Tagging: Every newly planted sapling must be individually geo-tagged to accurately map its physical coordinates and track growth milestones over time.Protective Measures: For the next ten years, the hospital must guarantee uninterrupted irrigation, install robust tree guards or safety fencing, and preserve saplings from physical damage or neglect.Public Web Disclosures: The facility must conduct periodic photographic audits and publish survival statistics and photographic logs directly on its corporate website to ensure public transparency.Contempt Warning: The bench issued a clear judicial warning, clarifying that any breach of the affidavit's assurances or subsequent failure to maintain the trees would invite immediate contempt-of-court proceedings.Judicial Stance: Combating Depleting Forest Cover Across Punjab and HaryanaThe stringent judgment aligns with a proactive environmental push by the High Court across the agrarian region:Regional Green Deficit: The division bench highlighted deep concerns regarding the critically low forest and tree cover across Punjab and Haryana, which lag significantly behind national forest policy benchmarks.Institutional Accountability: The court reiterated that urban expansions and infrastructure developments cannot be permitted to deplete campus tree canopies unchecked.Policy Mandates: Directing state authorities to formulate long-term green restoration policies, the bench underscored that public health infrastructure must co-exist with sustainable environmental practices.