New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said that Cutting a large number of trees is worse than killing human beings while penalising a man ₹1 lakh for each of the 454 trees he had illegally cut down.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan made this strong observation while dismissing a plea by the man, who had cleared the trees in the protected Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).

"There should be no mercy in environmental case. Felling a large number of trees is worse than killing a human," the bench said.

The court highlighted that it would take at least a century to restore the green cover created by the 454 trees, which were cut down without permission.

The apex court accepted the report of the central empowered committee (CEC), which recommended a fine of Rs 1 lakh per tree for cutting 454 trees in Dalmia Farms in Mathura-Vrindavan by one Shiv Shankar Agarwal.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Agarwal, submitted that he has admitted the mistake but the court refused to reduce the fine amount .

The court directed Agarwal to carry out replantation at a nearby site, stating that the contempt plea against him would only be disposed only after compliance.

The top court also recalled its 2019 order which had removed the requirement of obtaining prior permission to cut trees on non-forest and private lands within the Taj Trapezium Zone.

PTI