Letter to BS: Protecting Taj Mahal is India's national priority

It is not a surprise that the Green Bench of the Supreme Court has come down heavily on the government for the pathetic state of the Taj Mahal, the eighth wonder of the world. It is unfortunate that the authority in charge of the Taj Trapezium Zone was entertaining applications from industrialists to expand their factories into the protected zone despite a long standing moratorium from the Supreme Court.

With garbage strewn all over and the pollutants having discoloured the pristine white of the iconic mausoleum in Agra, one really wonders why the ruling dispensation at the Centre has failed to protect the Unesco World Heritage Site and has allowed its upkeep to be in a shambles. The Taj Mahal is an edifice proclaiming to the world the beauty and grandeur of Mughal architecture. It also symbolises the love and affection a Mughal king had for his wife that led him to erect such a marvellous mausoleum in her honour. We Indians are gifted to be the proud owners of this wonder of the world and all steps should be taken by the Central and state governments to protect this monument from further decay.

Fiona Waltair  Chennai

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