New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought response from the Uttar Pradesh government on its plan of cutting down the trees to widen the Krishna Govardhan road in Mathura. The apex body has given two weeks of time to the state to respond and has also asked it to consider the reduction in the number of trees proposed to fell.
A bench led by the Chief Justice of India SA Bobde was hearing an application filed by UP PWD for cutting down 2,940 trees.
On valuation of trees, CJI made it clear that they can't be valued in terms of timber and a method has to be adopted which takes into account the oxygen-producing capacity of a particular tree over its remaining life span. There was a system of Net Present value suggested by an advocate for evaluation which the court has asked UP to consider.
"We are not allowing felling of 2,940 trees," said CJI SA Bobde.
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Asked about the species and age of the trees standing there, the advocate said that most of them are Neem trees and were planted during the Mughal times.
On the proposal of planting more trees in order to compensate the CJI remarked, "You cut a 90-year-old tree and plant a week old tree!"
"It is not possible for us to accept a compensation in merely arithmetical terms particularly since there is no statement forthcoming from the state of Uttar Pradesh for PWD as to the nature of the trees that whether they are classified as shrubs or large trees," observed the court.
It said that there can not be compensatory reforestation if a sapling is planted in place of a 100-year-old tree.
CJI suggested that a road should take a turn for the tree instead of cutting as the only impact a zig zag road will have is slowing the speed which is anyway a good thing considering the numbers of road accidents that take place.
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