Chandigarh, July 18: A large-scale environmental campaign is underway across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh following a monsoon plantation drive inaugurated by Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant. The regional initiative focuses on restoring local biodiversity through the strategic planting of native and functional tree species. Organizers scheduled the launch alongside the formal opening of the newly constructed District Courts multi-level parking structure in Sector 43.
The project relies on close cooperation with state and union territory forest authorities to ensure proper species selection. The drive commenced symbolically with a sapling planted on the Punjab and Haryana High Court grounds before expanding to external public locations and legal institutions. The campaign emphasizes types of vegetation that offer shade, fruit, and medicinal benefits tailored to the specific climate of the region.
Several prominent legal and administrative figures gathered for the day’s proceedings. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria joined the Chief Justice for the infrastructure inauguration, which progressed under the guidance of Justice Deepak Sibal. The event also brought together Supreme Court Justice Augustine George Masih, High Court Acting Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra, and Chandigarh Sessions Division Administrative Judge Justice JS Puri.
The drive reinforces constitutional mandates that establish ecological preservation as a core institutional priority. Legal frameworks place a joint responsibility on public bodies and individual citizens to protect natural resources, viewing sustainability and development as complementary goals. Supreme Court jurisprudence regularly connects environmental quality to human dignity and the well-being of future generations.
Organizers noted that real success requires active public maintenance and structural monitoring over time. Chief Justice Surya Kant affirmed that environmental protection was “both a constitutional obligation and a shared moral responsibility.” He maintained that all stakeholders should come forward to transform environmental awareness into sustained action by nurturing nature with the same commitment with which it is restored, while asserting that the effort requires regular watering and community participation to succeed.
