New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday said protecting Taj Mahal has become a “hopeless cause” and slammed the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and Archaeological Survey of India for their apathy in protecting the monument from pollution.
The Bench observed, “there is absolutely no willingness to protect the Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal has to be protected. Taj is more beautiful than the Eiffel Tower and could have solved the country's foreign exchange problem. 80 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. Do you realise the loss caused to the country due to your apathy?”
The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier told the bench that it would place before the court a draft of vision document on protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal but it has failed to do so even after more than six months.
The court also sought personal appearance of the chairman of Taj Trapezium Zone — a 10,400 sq km area spread over Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur in Rajasthan — to explain violation of its orders prohibiting expansion of industrial units in the zone. The court said it would have day-to-day hearing of the matter from July 31.
