Breaking: HC allows Fortis Mohali to cut 22 trees for expansion, orders planting of 110 saplings
Babushahi Network
Chandigarh, October 18, 2026: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has permitted Fortis Hospital, Mohali, to cut 22 trees for its planned expansion, subject to planting 110 saplings and maintaining them for at least 10 years.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor passed the order after considering an undertaking submitted by the hospital’s facility in-charge, Abhijit Singh.
The hospital plans to expand its healthcare infrastructure on a 5.028-acre site allotted by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).
Under the conditions laid down by the court, Fortis must plant five saplings for every tree felled. The 110 saplings, belonging to the same species as the trees being cut, will be planted at designated locations within the hospital premises, as indicated in a site plan submitted to the court.
Geo-tagging and 10-year maintenance mandated
The Bench directed the hospital to take direct responsibility for the survival and upkeep of the newly planted trees for at least a decade. This includes regular watering and protection through fencing or tree guards.
To ensure accountability, each sapling must be individually geo-tagged. The hospital will also have to conduct periodic photographic checks to document their growth and survival throughout the maintenance period.
The court further directed the hospital to publish information about the saplings’ growth and survival on its website to facilitate public monitoring.
The Bench made it clear that any violation of the undertaking could invite contempt proceedings.
Disposing of the application, the court permitted the tree-felling subject to compliance with the commitments made by the hospital. It also expressed the hope that the institution would ensure that the green cover on its premises did not decline over time.
Order comes amid wider concerns over tree cover
The ruling comes against the backdrop of the High Court’s broader scrutiny of tree-felling and concerns over inadequate tree cover in Punjab and Haryana. The court has called upon both states to formulate a policy to increase their green cover.
Under the compensatory plantation plan submitted by the hospital, the 110 saplings will comprise 25 kikar, 25 dek, 50 tohat and 10 beri trees.