Cutting Large Number of Trees More Barbaric Than Killing Humans: Supreme Court

New Delhi : The Supreme Court has stated that felling a large number of trees is more barbaric than killing human beings, while also ordering a fine of Rs 1 lakh per illegally cut tree. The court made this observation while turning down the plea of a man who had cut down 454 trees in the protected Taj Trapezium Zone. Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan underlined that there can be no compromise on environmental issues, adding that the environmental loss caused by felling trees is irreparable and serious.

The court accepted the recommendation of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which had proposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh per tree for the destruction of 454 trees in Mathura-Vrindavan’s Dalmia Farms by one Shiv Shankar Agarwal. The judges pointed out that it would take at least a century to regenerate the green cover lost due to the unlawful deforestation. Although Agarwal pleaded guilty to having made a wrong move, the court maintained the fine and said he should work towards replanting in the vicinity.

In addition, the Supreme Court revisited its own 2019 judgment, lifting the pre-decision requirement of permission to trim trees on private non-forest land within the Taj Trapezium Zone. The court mentioned that a plea for contempt initiated against Agarwal will be disposed of upon him fulfilling the order of replantation.