Taj Trapezium Zone: SC asks CEC if tree felling necessary for road construction

New Delhi [India], January 30 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to explore whether the road construction proposed for the construction of a road project in the Taj Trapezium Zone could take place without felling 3,874 trees.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Uttar Pradesh government to provide a sketch of the proposed alignment of the Agra-Jalesar-Etah road and asked the CEC to inform if it was possible to save some trees.
The apex court also observed that it is the responsibility of the State to ensure that the maximum number of trees are protected from being chopped.
It said, "As Article 51A mandates that it is duty of every citizen to save trees, we also reiterate that it is also the responsibility of the State to ensure that maximum number of trees are protected."
The apex court posting the matter for hearing on March 12 asked the Uttar Pradesh government to ensure that the divisional forest officer gives a report on the feasibility of translocation of some of the trees.
The State was also asked to place material on record to show as to where it proposes to do compensatory afforestation.
The apex court was hearing a plea on preserving the Taj Mahal and environmental issues in the Taj Trapezium Zone.
The top court is seized of the matter filed in 1984 related to protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631, and its surroundings.
Environmentalist MC Mehta had filed the plea pertaining to protection of Taj Mahal, the fragile eco-system surrounding it, and construction in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), an "eco-sensitive area" having four world heritage sites including the Taj Mahal. The mausoleum is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The TTZ, established on December 30, 1996 to protect the Taj Mahal from pollution through an order of Supreme Court, is a 10,400 sq km area spread across the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. (ANI)