Tasked with delivering justice from the confines of courtrooms, the legal fraternity stepped beyond files and arguments today to launch a statewide tree plantation campaign with a target of planting five lakh saplings across Punjab in the months ahead.
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Nurturing justice of another kind, Punjab State Legal Services Authority timed the drive — “Each One, Plant One” — with World Environment Day. It marked a conscious extension of the judiciary’s role beyond custodians of legal order to champions of environmental balance, aligning closely with the constitutional mandate under Article 48A, which enjoins the state to protect and improve the environment.
The campaign has been conceptualised under the guidance of Justice Surya Kant — Executive Chairman of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) — and Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Sheel Nagu. It is being spearheaded in the state by Justice Deepak Sibal — Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Executive Chairman of Punjab State Legal Services Authority.
“Laws are meant to safeguard the future and today the judiciary did so not merely through judgments but through plantation as well — branching out, quite literally, to breathe life further into the state’s green cover. The drive is not just about planting saplings — it is about planting ideas, habits, and a collective resolve. It is a symbolic gesture of hope for a cleaner, greener, and healthier future,” Justice Sibal asserted.
The campaign is expected to unfold in four structured phases. It began with the identification of plantation sites — judicial court complexes and their surrounding 500-m zones, barren lands, panchayat spaces, school campuses, roadside stretches, canal banks, and vacant municipal plots. This phase concluded on May 26.
The second phase focused on selecting the right saplings suited to local topography and soil conditions in consultation with the Forest and Horticulture Departments. The third stage — actual plantation — commenced today and will continue through the rainy season until September 15 giving every sapling the best chance to take root and thrive.
To ensure the campaign doesn’t wither with time, the final phase lays down a clear plan for aftercare and maintenance. Local residents, para-legal volunteers, schoolchildren, NGOs, social workers, and even industrial employees are being encouraged to adopt and nurture the saplings, helping them grow and branch out into full-fledged trees.
Micro and macro-level execution plans have been chalked out for each district, with special attention on forest-rich regions such as Ropar, SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, and Pathankot, which have extensive catchment areas and seasonal river systems. The launch also featured awareness drives on climate change, sustainable living, and ecological restoration — aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of why trees matter, now more than ever.
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