The Supreme Court has strongly condemned large-scale tree felling, stating that cutting a significant number of trees is "worse than killing a human being."

The court imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh per tree on an individual who had illegally cut 454 trees in the protected Taj Trapezium Zone.

A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan made this observation while dismissing the plea of Shiv Shankar Agarwal, who had felled the trees without permission in Dalmia Farms, Mathura-Vrindavan. The court underscored the irreversible environmental impact, emphasizing that it would take at least a century to restore the lost green cover.

Accepting the findings of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), the apex court upheld the ₹1 lakh fine per tree. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Agarwal, admitted the violation but sought a reduction in the penalty, which the court refused.

As part of the remedy, the court directed that Agarwal be permitted to undertake plantation activities at a nearby site. Additionally, it stated that the contempt plea against him would only be closed upon compliance with the orders.

The Supreme Court also reversed its 2019 ruling, reinstating the requirement of prior permission to cut trees on non-forest and private lands within the Taj Trapezium Zone.