Supreme Court orders to stop all commercial activities within 500-metre of iconic Taj Mahal

Tags: National State News

The Supreme Court has directed the Agra Development Authority,Uttar Pradesh  to immediately stop all commercial activities within a 500-metre radius from the peripheral wall of the Taj Mahal.

 A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and AS Oka told the Agra Development Authority to ensure the compliance with its order delivered on 27 September 2022.

The Apex Court was hearing an application seeking direction to the authorities to prohibit commercial activities within the 500-metre radius of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The 500m-radius of the 17th-century white marble mausoleum is a no-construction zone. Besides, there are also strict regulations on vehicular movement around the monument. There is also a ban on burning of wood near the monument, and municipal solid waste and agriculture waste in the entire area.

The top court is hearing the matter since it was filed in 1984 related to the protection and preservation of the Taj Mahal and its surroundings.

The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal in 1631.