Close Industries to save Taj Mahal: UP Govt

Agra, July 25: In the latest update of Taj Mahal's row, Uttar Pradesh government plans to set up a no-plastic zone, Sealing polluting factories and a ban on construction activity on Yamuna floodplain are some of the initiatives implementing to ensure the protection and preservation of Taj Mahal.

In the first draft of its 'vision document' on Taj Mahal, submitted in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the Uttar Pradesh government presented a comprehensive plan to protect and preserve the Mughal mausoleum and its environs.

The vision document was submitted after the apex court on July 11 lashed out the state government for its apathy towards the 17th-century monument.

The government informed a bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta that it plans to prohibit the use of bottled water within the Taj precinct and mark the entire area as a no-plastic zone. It said that all polluting industries will be shut and tourism hubs will be created in Agra.

A comprehensive traffic management plan to promote pedestrian movement in Taj heritage precinct will be taken up, the government said. The government also said it would ban construction activity on Yamuna floodplains and the riverbank will only have natural plantations.

"Roads along Yamuna riverfront should be planned so traffic is limited and pedestrian movement encouraged," it added.

The apex court has been monitoring development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal at Agra.

Its construction was completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The ivory white marble mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.