IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL WRIT PETITION (PIL) NO. 131 of 2009 Rajiv Ranjan Chopra alias Bunty Chopra ……Petitioner. Versus Municipal Corporation, Dehradun and others. …Respondents. Present:- Mr. Siddharth Sah, Advocate for the petitioner. Ms. Vinay Kumar, Standing Counsel (State of Uttarakhand) for respondent nos. 2, 3, 4 and 7. Ms. Puja Banga, Advocate for respondent no. 5 Mr. S.S. Chauhan, Advocate for respondent nos. 1 and 8. Coram: Hon’ble Barin Ghosh, C.J. Hon’ble Sudhanshu Dhulia, J. Barin Ghosh, C.J., (Oral) Learned counsel for the petitioner has filed an amended memo of parties. The same is kept with the record. In this Public Interest Litigation, it was alleged that while widening the roads situate in the city of Dehradun many trees were felled without taking appropriate recourse to the provisions contained in U.P. Protection of Trees Act, 1976. The work of widening of road was done by the Public Works Department of the State. The Public Works Department of the State has not yet filed any counter affidavit. Widening of roads in the city of Dehradun was done at the request of and on the basis of requirement of Mussoorie Dehadun Development Authority. The said Authority has filed affidavit, in which it has accepted that while widening roads, some trees have been felled. In the circumstances, this Court appointed a Special Officer to ascertain how many trees have been felled and whether those fellings have been done in accordance with the provisions contained in the Act. Special Officer has reported the number of trees that 2 have been felled. Special Officer has also reported that number of trees required to be planted under the Act for felling the subject trees have not been planted. After the report of Special Officer was considered by the Court, a copy thereof was sent to the Secretary, Urban Development for giving suggestion for implementation of the directions contained in the said Act, after considering the report of the Special Officer. No suggestion has been received. We, accordingly, direct the State Government that 25,000 new trees be planted within a period of six months from today within the municipal area of the city of Dehradun and to ensure for at least five years from the date of plantation of those trees that they are preserved and alive. The State Government is directed to file affidavits indicating that it has complied with the above directions after expiry of every six months from today until expiry of five years from today. With the directions as above, the writ petition stands disposed of. In the event no such affidavit is filed by the State Government, the Department is directed to forthwith bring the matter to the notice of this Court. The remuneration of the Special Officer fixed at ` 10,000/- be paid by the Authority within four weeks from today. (Sudhanshu Dhulia, J.) (Barin Ghosh, C.J.) 4.5.2011 Rathour