Supreme Court Lifts Stay On Tree Felling For Mathura-Jhansi Railway Line Construction

The Supreme Court on Monday lifted its stay on the felling of trees for the construction of a railway line between Mathura and Jhansi.

The court observed that Rail Vikas Nigam Limited complied with the condition of planting 50,943 saplings, a requirement for the project’s approval.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Manmohan was informed by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) that RVNL was granted permission on May 13, 2022, to fell 5,094 trees, provided that it plant the specified number of saplings.

“We have reviewed the report on RVNL’s compliance with the order dated May 13, 2022. The report confirms the planting of 50,943 saplings. We, therefore, vacate the stay order issued on October 14,” the bench said.

The stay had been imposed in October after the court noted that compensatory afforestation had not been carried out, leading to a halt in construction work. At the time, the counsel for RVNL informed the court that while the railway body had paid the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department for afforestation, they were unsure whether the conditions had been fully met.

“We are constructing a bypass rail line in the Agra division of the north-central Railway for the Mathura-Jhansi line, but we are unaware if the conditions of afforestation were fully complied with. The forest department is now holding us accountable,” the counsel had stated.

In response, the bench clarified that while permission to fell the trees was granted to RVNL, it was the railway body’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the court’s conditions.

The project, which involves the construction of a third railway line between Mathura and Jhansi, can now proceed after the court’s decision, ensuring that the environmental conditions have been met.

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