SC asks FRI to re-examine budget for Taj Trapezium Zone tree census

New Delhi, Apr 8 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Forest Research Institute Dehradun to re-examine its budget proposed to conduct a tree census in the Taj Trapezium Zone.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan observed the timelines provided by the Forest Research Institute (FRI) were too long and said there was a "lot of overlap" in its work in Delhi.

"We are of the view that FRI needs to have a relook at the budget proposed as infrastructure which may be used for tree survey in Delhi may be used for the tree survey in TTZ area. Therefore, we direct the FRI to submit a fresh budget and timelines within four weeks," it said.

The top court on March 26 directed the FRI to carry out the first tree census in Delhi and also gave its nod to enhance the city's green cover.

The FRI would conduct both the exercises simultaneously in three phases over a three-and-a-half-year period.

The top court had previously directed the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) authority to appoint the FRI to carry out a tree census in the area.

The court had said penal provisions against violators couldn't be implemented sans data of existing trees.

The TTZ, an area of 10,400 square-kilometre approximately, spreads across Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras, and Etah districts in UP and Bharatpur district in Rajasthan.

The apex court said the object of the UP Protection of Trees Act, 1976 was to protect the trees and not to fell or cut the trees.

Without a tree census there couldn't be any effective implementation of the provisions of 1976 Act, it had added.

The top court had also outlined the need for a census of existing trees and a mechanism to keep a vigil to ensure trees in the TTZ were not illegally felled.

The bench was hearing a plea over the unauthorised felling of trees in the TTZ when it said the census of existing trees in the area was required to check any illegal felling.

"Prima facie, we are of the view that there needs to be a census of existing trees in the Taj Trapezium Zone and there needs to be a mechanism for keeping a vigil for ensuring that there is no unauthorised felling of trees," the court had said.

The plea it was hearing raised environmental concerns and underlined the need of preservation of historical monuments, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site The Taj Mahal, and its surrounding areas.

While hearing a separate plea last year, the top court said it would order demolition and restore the land or the highways to its original status, if its direction over compulsory afforestation in the TTZ was not complied with by the authorities. PTI PKS AMK

Source: PTI