The Supreme Court Wednesday agreed to hear on Friday a plea seeking to remove some dried up trees near the mental hospital at Agra which falls under the Taj Trapezium Zone housing protected monument Taj Mahal.
A Bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde took note of submissions of a lawyer, representing the Government hospital, that certain dead trees be allowed to be removed as they “scaring mental patients”. It has been alleged that the Forest department of Agra Zone has denied the permission to remove even dried trees in view of the apex court’s earlier orders in this regard. Apex court, which has been hearing the PIL filed by environmentalist MC Mehta, has restrained cutting or removing trees in the Taj Trapezium area.
The PIL has sought protection of the Taj from the ill effects of polluting gases and deforestation. Earlier, apex court, in 2014, had allowed Agra civic corporation to cut down 38 trees in protected area of Taj Mahal under Taj Trapezium Zone but had directed it to plant thrice number of trees in the compound or nearby areas. The corporation had submitted the trees need to be cut down to renovate the tehsil building.