The Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 25, declared that “felling a large number of trees is worse than killing a human,” imposing a staggering ₹4.54 crore fine on Shiv Shankar Agarwal for illegally chopping down 454 trees in the protected Taj Trapezium Zone.

Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, rejecting Agarwal’s plea for leniency, emphasized the irreversible environmental damage, noting it would take at least 100 years to restore the lost green cover.

The bench, showing “no mercy in environmental cases,” upheld the Central Empowered Committee’s (CEC) recommendation of a ₹1 lakh fine per tree felled at Dalmia Farms in Mathura-Vrindavan. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Agarwal, admitted the error, but the court refused to lower the penalty.

“There should be no mercy,” the justices reiterated, ordering Agarwal to fund plantations at a nearby site. A contempt plea against him will remain pending until compliance is verified.

The ruling also reversed a 2019 Supreme Court order that had waived prior permission for cutting trees on non-forest and private lands in the Taj Trapezium Zone, signaling a stricter stance on ecological protection.

The decision underscores the court’s growing alarm over deforestation, equating mass tree-felling with a crime graver than human harm due to its long-term impact on ecosystems and sustainability. As environmental concerns mount, this verdict sets a precedent for hefty penalties and rigorous enforcement in India’s green battles.