The Taj Trapezium Zone (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 district of Rajasthan.
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today said it would hear on August 28 an application, filed in the matter related to protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal, which has sought to declare Agra as a heritage city.
A bench comprising justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta was told by environmentalist M C Mehta, the petitioner in the case, that nothing has been done by the authorities to prevent encroachment in and around the historic monument.
The counsel appearing for the Uttar Pradesh Government told the bench that environmentalist M C Mehta had filed the application around 10 years ago and the State had filed a reply earlier.
The counsel submitted that state government would file a fresh affidavit on the plea giving details of the present status.
The bench was also apprised that the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) would be responsible for the maintenance of Taj Mahal.
The remarks relating to the UNESCO by the bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta came after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said it has given a plan on Taj Mahal to the UN body in 2013.
UNESCO has to express concern about the situation (regarding Taj Mahal). It is an organisation of the United Nations.
Our concern should be far greater than that shown by the UNESCO,” it said. The ivory white marble mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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.
