The Supreme Court May 1, 2025 put the onus of completing the work of tapping six partially tapped drains in Agra on the Uttar Pradesh government. The work should be completed within four months, the court ordered.
It is for the state of Uttar Pradesh to decide which agency completes the work, the apex court noted. The applications would remain pending until all compliances are reported, the order added.
SC perused the affidavits filed on behalf of the Municipal Corporation, Agra and Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (Urban). Affidavit dated April 11, 2025, filed by the Municipal Corporation, Agra, indicated that the issue was about 61 untapped drains and six partially tapped drains.
Interim measures such as bio-remediation and phyto-remediation techniques are being used at present. The work of tapping 23 untapped drains was to be completed by the end of April 2025. However, compliance has not yet been reported, SC noted.
The apex court directed that the work of tapping of 23 untapped drains should be completed by May 15, 2025 and compliance report filed within a week thereafter. A proposal has been submitted by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for the remaining 38 untapped drains.
A report has been submitted by the Additional Solicitor General on behalf of NMCG. It was stated that now there is a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by the UP Jal Nigam (Urban).
The bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan directed NMCG to grant approval to DPR in the next executive committee meeting and ensure that the work of tapping of drains commences immediately.
The court also directed UP Jal Nigam (Urban) to file an affidavit indicating timelines for completion of work of 38 untapped drains. "The outer limit in any case cannot be more than three months from the date of approval of DPR," the order said.
An affidavit should be filed within a period of a month regarding laying down the timelines for completion of work. As regards interim measures, affidavit of Municipal Corporation, Agra indicated that bio-remediation and phytoremediation techniques are being used.
All applications seeking permission to fell trees, irrespective of the number of trees to be felled, in areas within an aerial distance of 5 kilometres from the Taj Mahal will have to be made to SC, India's highest court made clear May 1, 2025.
The court clarified that even if trees to be felled are less than 50, permission of the court would be required. Following an application, the court would seek the recommendation of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) and then consider the prayer for felling of trees.
Thus, in the case of areas located within an aerial distance of 5 kilometres from the Taj Mahal, no tree felling would be permitted without prior permission of the court. In this aspect, the order of May 8, 2015 would continue to operate.
SC accepted the recommendations put forward by CEC in relation to the areas that are located beyond an aerial distance of 5 kilometres from the Taj Mahal, except one of the clauses.
SC added some riders in the accepted recommendations. One among them being that while granting permission, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) and CEC should be bound by the provisions of Uttar Pradesh Protection of Trees Act, 1976.
Another is that unless there is an urgency for felling trees, while granting permission, the DFO and CEC shall impose a condition that unless compliance with all other conditions, including the condition of compulsorily afforestation is made, actual tree felling will not be permitted.
CEC was directed to file a fresh report indicating what restrictions on tree felling should be imposed for protecting the other two world heritage structures within the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) area, namely Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. TTZ is a 10,400 sq km area around Taj Mahal that has been identified for protection against pollution.
Authorities were directed by the National Green Tribunal on May 5, 2025 to ensure that no illegal felling of trees takes place at the site of the housing project 'The Omaxe State' in Sector 19-B, Dwarka, Delhi. Further, it must be ensured that the project proponent does not indulge in raising any illegal construction.
NGT directed the respondents to file their response / reply by way of affidavit before the tribunal a week before the next date of hearing (September 8, 2025).
The applicant has alleged illegal felling of trees by the project proponent, a real estate developer company. The allegation of the applicant was that the project proponent has violated the norms by carrying out the activity in their project.
Though environmental clearance has been applied for the project, it has not been issued till now. The applicant also referred to the photographs to show that the green cover visible earlier has reduced as the project proponents have cut a large number of trees. Counsel for the applicant has submitted that construction activities have been started even before the grant of environmental clearance.