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 said Agarwal should be allowed to do plantations at a nearby site and said the contempt plea filed against him will 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.
Source link
