Court Notice On Taj Heritage Corridor

The Supreme Court today took a serious note of the report of the commission appointed to study the environmental aspects of Taj Mahal and issued a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on its Rs 175 crore reclamation project between the monument and the Agra Fort.

The Krishan Mahajan report says the government project with amusement parks, food plazas, shops and related establishments stretching over 75 acres between the two historical sites would destroy the ecology of the area. It said the government was diverting the natural flow of the Yamuna river to set up the complex.

An apex court Bench comprising Justice M B Shah and Justice Arun Kumar was hearing a public interest petition on the protection of the world famous monument against environmental damage. The report has also pointed out several hazardous activities around the Taj which have to be stopped.

 

According to the report, the project has not been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Environment Affairs. There has not been any environment impact assessment either. According to the state government, the project has been cleared by all authorities concerned. This is denied by Mahajan.

The heritage corridor has been proposed to attract tourists in large numbers by linking the Taj, the Agra Fort, Ram Bagh and other historical places and integrate them with the green belt and the river. The central government has already sanctioned Rs 18 for the project.