Almost three decades after the Supreme Court announced a series of measures to insulate the Taj Mahal from environmental degradation, the question that continues to do rounds in "green" circles, and often asked by visitors: has the Mughal monuments become safe from air and water pollution?
International concern was first raised in the 1970s when the decision to site India's biggest oil refinery at Mathura was taken by the Indira Gandhi government. The PIL filed by eco lawyer M.C. Mehta in the apex court triggered a series of drastic measures to contain environmental pollution in the eco-sensitive Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), spread over 10,400 sq km.
As the city celebrates World Environment Day on Sunday, local activists say there has been no fundamental change in the environmental conditions in Agra, Mathura, Firozabad districts that come under the TTZ.