New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court today has asked the court to direct the authorities to carry out a quick assesSment of the impact the felling of trees around the Taj Mahal would have on the environment.

The CPCB has also sought directions to the court appointed monitoring committee to quickly carry out the impact assessment.

It may be noted here that the Uttar Pradesh government had sought permission from the court to clear over 2000 trees for widening roads around the historic monument.

The CPCB has been opposing the plea on the grounds that the targetted trees were planted as per the SC's order to improve the environment around Taj Mahal.

A three judge bench headed by Justice S B Sinha had earlier restrained the authorities from cutting the trees.

The CPCB affidavit filed by its additional director Dr R C Trivedi had also contended that though widening of roads would certainly help in decongesting the traffic and increasing the avarage speed of vehicles, this cannot be done at the cost of over 2000 trees without there being an adequate compensatory plantation in place.

UNI