The Supreme Court has directed the Taj Trapezium Authority to investigate reports of tree felling within the protected Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a designated area around the Taj Mahal where polluting activities are restricted to safeguard the monument.
A Bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan ordered the Authority to send its officers to the site immediately to verify whether trees had been felled or if such activities were still ongoing. The investigation must be completed within three weeks.
Additionally, the Court instructed law enforcement to provide necessary police protection to ensure compliance with its directive.
“The applicant’s counsel contends that the land referenced in environmental clearance at Annexure A4 falls within the Taj Trapezium Zone and has been subject to tree felling. We direct the Taj Trapezium Authority to immediately deploy its officers to ascertain if any tree cutting has occurred or is ongoing. Adequate police protection shall be ensured,” the Court stated.
Furthermore, the Bench emphasized that the Taj Trapezium Authority, with police assistance, must prevent any further tree cutting in the area.
“We make it clear that the Taj Trapezium Authority, with the help of the police, must ensure that no tree felling occurs on the land in question,” the Court ordered.
The case stems from a petition alleging unauthorized tree felling within the TTZ.
The Taj Trapezium Zone, spanning 10,400 square kilometers around the Taj Mahal and other heritage sites in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, was established to mitigate pollution and environmental damage threatening these historical landmarks.
To protect air quality, the Supreme Court in 1996 mandated extensive tree plantations in the TTZ, the relocation or closure of over 200 polluting industries, and a transition to cleaner fuels like CNG and LPG. The Court also restricted vehicular movement, encouraged battery-operated vehicles, and prohibited construction and mining activities near the Taj Mahal.
During a previous hearing on March 5, the Bench had raised concerns over a Supreme Court order from December 11, 2019, which allowed tree felling for agro-forestry without prior Court approval. The Bench questioned how such an exemption was granted when even private citizens required permission to cut trees.
The Court will reconsider that order on March 25.
