Carmel tree tragedy: HC raps UT for not filing detailed affidavit on tree maintenance

On Tuesday, a a PIL filed in the Carmel Convent School tree collapse tragedy came up for hearing before the Bench of Chief Justice Ravi Shanker Jha and Justice Arun Palli. Appearing before the Bench, petitioner-advocate Kunal Mulwani, through senior counsel Chetan Mittal, contended that the affidavit submitted by the UT administration in the case reflected total non-compliance of the court order and showed its casual approach in dealing with the problem of heritage and other trees.

Mittal contended the Chandigarh administration itself had admitted that no authority had been specifically tasked with monitoring trees. As such, the responsibility of 31 heritage trees had been given to the departments/institutions in whose premises the heritage trees were standing. Mittal pointed out that the affidavit said both Chandigarh administration and Chandigarh Municipal Corporation had to identify the area under their jurisdiction and to maintain tree under the same. This added to the existing confusion. The entire jurisdiction was required to be given to one competent authority with full responsibility of maintenance and this can only be done by the Chandigarh Forest Department.

The HC, after hearing Mittal, asserted that the UT administration had not been able to understand its previous order. On UT’s request for a last opportunity, the HC granted the administration the same while observing orally that strictures will be passed if there is lack of proper compliance of its order, for which several dates have already been given.