The Supreme Court today allowed a plea filed by the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam seeking its permission to fell 234 trees in Agra for laying new pipelines for water supply in the city.
A bench of justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta was told that the central empowered committee (CEC) has given its report in the matter and after conducting site inspection, the panel has agreed on cutting of trees with certain conditions.
Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the UP Jal Nigam, said that out of a total 130 km, the pipeline has already been laid on 128 km and for the rest 2 km, 234 trees were required to be felled.
He said that laying of pipeline would make the Ganga river water reach Agra city and it would be used for drinking purposes.
He said that around 2.5 hectare land has been identified for planting around 2,500 trees as part of the compensatory afforestation.
The apex court, while allowing the plea, directed the forest department of the state to ensure that the trees planted as part of compensatory afforestation be looked after properly as it noted, "The mortality rate of trees planted as part of compensatory afforestation is as high as 80 per cent."
The area where the pipelines is proposed to be laid lies in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ). The top court has been monitoring developments in the TTZ to protect the iconic Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631. The mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur in Rajasthan.
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