The Supreme Court on Monday lifted its previous stay on the felling of trees for the construction of a railway line between Mathura and Jhansi, after confirming that the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) had met its reforestation obligations. The decision followed a report from the central empowered committee, which verified the planting of 50,943 saplings as a compensatory measure.
In October, concerns about unmet environmental commitments had led to a halt in construction. The court had initially allowed the felling of 5,094 trees on May 13, 2022, on the condition that RVNL would undertake extensive afforestation. The project, aimed at adding a third railway line in the region, was suspended when the compensatory afforestation was reported as incomplete.
RVNL’s counsel highlighted during the proceedings that, following the court’s approval, the necessary funds were allocated to the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department to fulfill the afforestation requirement. However, there were ambiguities about the completion of these conditions, leading to disputes over responsibility.
Justice Abhay S Oka and Manmohan, overseeing the case, clarified that the responsibility to ensure compliance with the court’s conditions lay with RVNL. With the confirmation of the saplings planting, the court removed the block on the project, allowing construction to proceed.
