Supreme Court permits felling of over 4,100 trees for new Mathura-Jhansi Railway track

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday permitted felling of 4,108 trees in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) for laying of a new railway track between Mathura and Jhansi.

TTZ is about 10,400 sq km, spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. The application filed by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) came up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for RVNL, told the bench that the proposed railway track is about 274 km, of which a stretch of 80 kilometre goes through the TTZ.

He told the bench that central empowered committee (CEC) has given its recommendation and said that felling of trees for laying the railway track can be allowed subject to conditions, including compulsory afforestation.

He said the authority will comply with all the conditions as stipulated by CEC. "We are of the view that it will be appropriate to permit 4,108 trees to be felled by Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd for the purpose of laying down railway track," the bench said.

The apex court said it is granting permission for felling of trees subject to conditions imposed by the CEC.