New Delhi, Nov 22 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday stressed on the need for a census of existing trees and a mechanism to keep a vigil to ensure no trees in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) were felled illegally.
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.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, while hearing a plea raising the issue of unauthorised felling of trees in the TTZ, 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," said the bench.
Somebody has to undertake a census of existing trees and there has to be a mechanism to detect illegal felling of trees in the area, it added.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the authorities concerned, said it could either be the central empowered committee monitoring it or the state forest department that could undertake the activity.
Senior advocate A D N Rao, assisting the top court as an amicus curiae, suggested wherever tree felling takes place, the station house officer of the police station concerned ought to be made personally liable.
"That we may do. But today, there is no data of how many trees are available, how many trees are in existence," noted the bench.
While observing the issue would not be resolved unless a tree census was undertaken, the bench posted the hearing on November 29.
The top court was hearing a petition over environmental concerns and preservation of historical monuments, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site The Taj Mahal, and its surrounding areas.
While hearing a separate application in the matter on October 14, 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.