The Supreme Court on Friday accepted the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposal to plant six lakh saplings in two years to fulfil its promise to provide green cover around the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).
The State government assured a Bench led by Justice T.S. Thakur that the first phase of the Rs. 20-crore re-plantation project would finish by August 31 this year.
The hearing started with an annoyed court asking the State why it took so long for it to accept this responsibility.
“Why have you been sleeping for more than 10 years?” Justice Thakur asked.
In the last hearing, the Supreme Court had reached the brink of ordering a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in utilisation of funds meant for compensatory afforestation of trees at the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).
“We are not happy with the way the State government has dealt with the question of compensatory afforestation. There is a large gap between the saplings required and the actual plantation,” the Bench had observed.
Justice Thakur contemplated directing a CBI probe into the “irregularities” but said the court would give the government one last opportunity to fulfil its commitment to plant saplings to replace trees felled across lands spread over several hundred hectares.
It said the only explanation for “discrepancy and failure” from the officials had been the non-release of funds. Calling their attitude “cavalier,” the court asked why these officials could not have approached the court had their intentions been in earnest.
The afforestation project would cover six districts of Agra, Mathura, Ferozabad, Hathras, Kasganj and Aliganj.
