The Supreme Court on Monday gave the go-ahead for felling of 4,313 trees on the 76-km Taj Trapezium Zone stretch in Uttar Pradesh for the Dedicated Freight Corridor project by the railways, funded by the World Bank.
A bench of Justices D.K. Jain and Madan B. Lokur allowed the plea of the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCI) after deliberations over the Forest Department’s definition of trees, as the bench had earlier sought clarification on whether saplings and trunks measuring four to five inches in diameter can be called trees.
The apex court allowed the felling of the thousands of trees in the Taj Trapezium Zone, a defined area of 10,400 sq km around the Taj Mahal to protect the monument from pollution, after going through recommendations of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The CEC had told the court that 25,000 trees would be planted in lieu felling of 4,313 trees in the Taj Trapezium Zone for the Dedicated Freight Corridor project.
The DFCCI has proposed to pay the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department `100 for cutting one tree and `200 for planting two trees.
The CEC also said that the freight corridor project is of national importance and in public interest.
Out of 351 km of the first phase of the project, 76 km falls within the Taj Trapezium area.
The Supreme Court is monitoring the safety and environmental issues related to protection of the Taj Mahal from pollution.