Supreme Court Bans Tree Felling Within 5 km of Taj Mahal Without Approval

The Supreme Court ruled that no trees can be cut within a 5 km aerial radius of the Taj Mahal without its prior approval, even if the number of trees involved is fewer than 50.

This directive, originally established in its 2015 order in MC Mehta v. Union of India, mandates that all tree-felling requests in this zone be submitted to the Court and reviewed by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).

The Court emphasized strict adherence to the Uttar Pradesh Tree Preservation Act, allowing exceptions only in cases of grave urgency where human life is at risk.