GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday took a firm stand against environmental violations, declaring that cutting down a large number of trees was a graver offense than taking a human life. Stressing that no leniency should be shown to those who harm the environment, the court approved a penalty of ₹1 lakh for each illegally felled tree.
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A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan dismissed the plea of Shiv Shankar Agarwal, who had cut down 454 trees in the protected Taj Trapezium Zone without official approval. The court emphasised that strict action was necessary against those violating environmental laws and upheld the penalty recommended by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
Senior advocate ADN Rao, serving as amicus curiae, suggested that a clear message needed to be sent to deter future violations. Accepting this view, the court ruled that the destruction of 454 trees, which took a century to grow, could not be taken lightly. The bench noted that the prohibition on tree-cutting in the area had been in place since 2015, yet the violation was committed with blatant disregard.
The CEC report revealed that the trees were cut on the night of September 18 last year, with 422 trees located on private land known as Dalmia Farm along Vrindavan Chatikara Road, while the remaining 32 were on a protected roadside forest strip. The committee recommended that the forest department recover penalties under the Uttar Pradesh Protection of Trees Act, 1976, and initiate punitive action against Agarwal under the Indian Forest Act, 1972.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Agarwal, admitted the violation and sought a reduction in the fine, proposing that his client be allowed to plant trees at a different location instead of the original site. While the court permitted plantation in nearby areas, it refused to reduce the penalty.
Additionally, the court initiated contempt proceedings against Agarwal for violating its previous orders and directed the CEC to propose further measures to address the offense. With this ruling, the Supreme Court has set a strict precedent for environmental protection, reinforcing the legal consequences of unauthorised deforestation.