SC pulls up UP govt for delay in submitting ‘Vision Document’ on Taj Mahal

Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 13

The Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for inordinate delay in finalising a ‘Vision Document’ on protection and conservation of Taj Mahal and asked it to show urgency in the matter.

A Bench headed by Justice SA Bobde gave four weeks to the state government to submit the document detailing the steps it wanted to take to preserve the historic monument.

“We are very serious and concerned for the preservation and maintaining a proper standard of one of the world’s seven wonders,” it said.

Known as one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Taj Mahal was built between 1632 and 1653 at Gara by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. She had died in 1631 while giving birth to their 14th child.

After lawyer-turned environmental activist MC Mehta filed a PIL, the top court has been passing orders, including closure of polluting industries in Agra, for conservation of the Taj since the 1980s. It had in 1996 banned use of coal in industries located in Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) and ordered them to switch over to natural gas, shutting down or relocate outside TTZ.

But of late it has been turning yellow due to increased level of pollution and the court has pulled up the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government several times in recent times.

In its report on Taj Mahal, Archaeological Survey of India had in December last said the monument’s colour appeared to have changed due to high pollution in and around Agra.

Last year, SC had sought detailed suggestions to preserve the historic Taj Mahal from respective parties, including CPCB and Uttar Pradesh government, in the case pertaining to maintenance of the monument.

The Yogi Adityanath government had submitted a draft vision document in July last year to the court on preservation of Taj Mahal he conservation of the heritage structure.

The Supreme Court had on November 29 last asked the Uttar Pradesh government to make public the vision document on conservation of Taj Mahal being prepared by the Delhi School of Planning and Architecture. “There is nothing secret about it,” it had said.