AMN / NEW DELHI
The Supreme Court today directed the Uttar Pradesh government to file within four weeks a vision document for protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal.
The apex court also directed the state government to explain why there was a sudden flurry of activities in and around the Taj Mahal and the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) and why leather industries and hotels were coming up there.
TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur in Rajasthan.
The court was hearing a plea filed by an Environmentalist seeking protection of the Taj from the ill-effects of polluting gases and deforestation in and around the area. The Taj Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.