Northern Railways has got permission from the Supreme Court of India to cut over 400 trees in Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) for the construction of additional railway track between Delhi- Agra if mandatory compensatory afforestation is undertaken.
The bench comprising of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices SA Nazeer and Sanjiv Khanna will monitor the afforestation to be undertaken by the Railways. It has also directed the member secretary of the National Legal Service Authority Of India (NALSA) to appoint a person to visit the tree plantation sites on a regular basis and file a report to them.
“We want a report on (plantation of saplings) in every three months updating on the conditions of the saplings, whether they have died or are alive and whether they are properly watered or not,” the bench said.
The bench said that the person, to be appointed by NALSA, will see whether the dried saplings have been replaced or not and he will file a report every three months.
The Northern Railways had asked for permission earlier to fell 452 trees under TTZ for its railway project between Mathura and Palwal.
