Karnataka High Court temporarily halts cutting of 530 trees for Air Force’s modern Command Hospital complex in Bengaluru

High Court of Karnataka halts tree cutting at Command Hospital, Bengaluru, for modern hospital project pending legality examination.

The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday temporarily halted the cutting of 530 trees on the premises of Command Hospital, Air Force, Bengaluru, for the construction of a modern multistoried hospital complex project till the court examined the legality of the permission granted by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to fell trees.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice M.I. Arun passed the interim order while hearing a PIL petition filed in 2018 by Dattatraya T. Devare and Bangalore Environment Trust. The petitioners had complained about non-adherence to provisions of the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976. The permission for felling any tree in Bengaluru, including for the metro project, since then is being examined by a Tree Expert Committee (TEC) set up on the directions of the court and the Tree Officer of the BBMP has been granting permission only based on the recommendation of the TEC.

On Wednesday, it was pointed out by the counsel for the petitioner that they are not opposing the hospital project but are only questioning the process followed by the BBMP while granting the permission.

Following this, the Bench ordered not to cut any tree on the hospital premises till it examined the issue.

The Defence Estate Officer had sought permission to fell 736 trees and the TEC on inspection had found that there were another 13 trees in the project area. After examination, the TEC recommended the grant of permission to cut 530 trees. While declining permission to cut 211 trees, the TEC had asked the hospital authorities to retain these trees at their present location. Eight other trees were permitted to be translocated.