Taj Mahal is one of the best and most beautiful tourist destinations of India, but the rise in air pollution in Agra is damaging the monumennt. The Supreme Court slammed the central government and its authorities for their laziness in taking steps to protect the Taj Mahal, The court expressed anguish over the UP government’s failure to come out with a vision document to preserve and protect the Taj and also asked for details on what the center has done. The court ordered to find the source of pollution in and around Taj Mahal in Agra by forming a special committee and suggest measures to prevent it.
The Supreme Court was hearing a petition that calls for proper maintenance of the Taj, a 16th-century marble mausoleum that draws thousands of tourists from India and abroad each year and is a must-see on the itinerary of most dignitaries. The Taj “is more beautiful than the Eiffel Tower” and could have solved the country’s foreign exchange problem, the judges noted. The court has now said that it will begin daily hearing in the matter starting July 31.
An air pollution database released by the World Health Organisation in May 2018 showed that Agra ranked eighth in the list of cities with the filthiest air. This is due to the fact that Agra lies in an industrial belt, and the city’s air pollution levels have risen sharply over the past 30 years.
“Eighty million go to watch Eiffel Tower which looks like a TV Tower. Our Taj is more beautiful. If you had looked after it your foreign exchange problem would have been solved,” said the judges.
The top court has been monitoring developments in the area to protect the monument which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Supreme Court had earlier this year blamed the Archeological Survey of India for its failure to take appropriate steps to protect and preserve the iconic monument built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
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