(Eds: With fresh details)New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh governmenttoday told the Supreme Court that it was "fully committed" toprotect the environment and ensure sustainable development inand around the iconic Taj Mahal and Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).
TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq kms spread over thedistricts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah inUttar Pradesh and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.
In an affidavit filed in the court, the state governmenthas said they were considering a separate micro-level planonly limited to protection and preservation of monument ofTaj Mahal.
It said the provisions for protection and preservation ofTaj Mahal have been included in the 2021 master plan of Agra.
"It is respectfully submitted that the state is fullycommitted to protect the environment and ensure sustainabledevelopment specifically in and around the Taj TrapeziumZone," the state said in the affidavit.
"State further undertakes to follow environmental law andall orders of this court diligently and faithfully to ensurebalance of ecosystem of the Taj Trapezium Zone," it said.
The counsel for the state mentioned the matter before abench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta andsought permission to file the affidavit. The bench agreed tothe submission and permitted the state to do so.
The affidavit was filed in pursuance to the apex court'sOctober 27 order directing the state to submit a comprehensivepolicy on preservation of Taj Mahal and the TTZ.
The top court had earlier stayed its order directingdemolition of a multi-level car parking being built near theTaj Mahal and asked the authorities to maintain status quo atthe site.
The affidavit, filed by the Deputy Director of UP TourismDepartment, also said the state has approached the NationalEnvironmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) toprepare a policy document to ensure a comprehensive andsustained environmental strategy for future activity in TTZ.
It said the NEERI team had visited the area and gave apreliminary report saying the development of dust-free parkingfacilities for Taj Mahal should be the immediate priority.
It also said the state government was considering toengage professional institutions in the field of environmentprotection and preservation such as Centre for EnvironmentalPlanning and Technology, Ahmedabad or School of Planning andArchitecture, New Delhi or similar reputed institutions.
The state government also said the construction of themulti-level parking near the Taj Mahal was approved by TTZAuthority and was in conformity with NEERI's recommendations.
"The said developmental activity has been undertaken toavoid vehicular movement in the vicinity of the TajMahal evenbeyond the prohibitory limit of 500 metre.
"This facility will ensure eco-gestation of vehicle dueto increasing number of tourists visiting the Taj Mahal. Thesaid development activity is thus a necessary sustainabledevelopment activity," the affidavit said.
Environmentalist M C Mehta, who had filed a plea seekingprotection of the Taj from the ill-effects of polluting gasesand deforestation in and around the area, had earlier told thebench that TTZ was an "ecologically sensitive area" and thegovernment should have come out with a comprehensive policyfor preservation and protection of Taj.
The apex court, which is dealing with a petition filed byMehta, has been monitoring development in the area toprotect the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan inthe memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631. The historicmausoleum is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The top court had earlier passed a slew of directions toprotect the monument. PTI RRT ABA MNL SJK RKSARC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.