The Supreme Court has equated the felling of a large number of trees to a graver offence than killing human beings, as it imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh per tree on an individual who illegally cut down 454 trees.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed the plea of the accused, Shiv Shankar Agarwal, who had sought relief after being penalised for chopping down trees in the ecologically sensitive Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).
“There should be no mercy in environmental cases. Felling a large number of trees is worse than killing a human,” the bench remarked, underlining the severe environmental consequences of indiscriminate deforestation.
The apex court observed that the loss of 454 trees would take at least a century to regenerate, stressing the irreparable damage caused to the green cover.
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The court upheld the findings of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which had recommended a penalty of Rs 1 lakh per tree for the large-scale destruction in Dalmia Farms, located in the Mathura-Vrindavan region.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Agarwal, acknowledged the wrongdoing but urged the court to reconsider the quantum of the fine. However, the court refused to entertain any reduction in the penalty.
Additionally, the bench directed that Agarwal be permitted to undertake a compensatory afforestation initiative at a designated site.
The contempt proceedings against him, it said, would be disposed of only upon full compliance with the court’s directives.
In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court also revoked its 2019 order that had removed the requirement for prior permission to cut trees on non-forest and private land within the TTZ, effectively reinstating stricter environmental safeguards.
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