Order of the Supreme Court on the matter of felling of trees in and around Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), Agra, Uttar Pradesh, 07/05/2025
The Supreme Court (SC), May 1, 2025 made it clear that all applications would have to be made to the court seeking permission to fell trees irrespective of the number of trees to be felled as far as areas located within an aerial distance of 5 kilometers from the Taj Mahal are concerned.
The court clarified that even if trees to be felled are less than 50, permission of the court would be required. On such application being made, the court would seek the recommendation of the CEC on such application and would thereafter consider the prayer for felling of trees. Thus, in case of areas located within an aerial distance of 5 kilometers from the Taj Mahal no tree felling would be permitted without prior permission of the court. In this aspect, the order of May 8, 2015 will continue to operate.
The SC accepted the recommendations put forward by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in relation to the areas that are located beyond an aerial distance of 5 kilometers from the Taj Mahal except one of the clauses.
The SC added some riders in the accepted recommendations. One among them being that while granting permission, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) and CEC should be bound by the provisions of Uttar Pradesh Protection of Trees Act, 1976. Another being that unless there is a grave and immediate urgency for felling the trees, while granting permission, the DFO and CEC shall impose a condition that unless compliance with all other conditions, including the condition of compulsorily afforestation is made, actual tree felling will not be permitted.
CEC was directed to file a fresh report indicating what restrictions on tree felling should be imposed for protecting the other two world heritage structures within the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) area, namely Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. CEC to file a report before the court within a period of two months.