Restore Yamuna’s health to protect Taj: Agra MP
November 27th, 2011 - 12:33 am ICT by IANSAgra, Nov 26 (IANS) Agra MP Ram Shankar Katheria, who was recently in the spotlight for warning the Taj Mahal would collapse in five years, Saturday announced he would stage a sit on at the Taj Corridor, if effective steps were not taken to restore good health to Yamuna for the safety of the 17th century monument.
Addressing a symposium held by the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society at the end of the Heritage week Saturday, Katheria said he would intervene in the Supreme Court case to plead for restoration of Yamuna, and present arguments to prove that the monument’s foundation was indeed under threat from a dry river.
Meanwhile, speakers demanded heritage city status for Agra. This demand flowing from the 1996 judgement of the Supreme Court in environmental activist M.C. Mehta’s PIL, was still hanging fire.
Chandra Kant Tripathi, registrar of Central Hindi Institute, said heritage extended beyond stones and included flora and fauna, culture, cuisine, traditions and language.
REDCO (an organisation of realtors) president K.C. Jain said pride and consciousness for heritage had to be inculcated in the masses.
He also said additional data and evidence would be placed before the Supreme Court to prove that the Yamuna river was being neglected and its high pollution level could prove dangerous to the safety of the Taj Mahal.
Speakers said the river had been reduced to a sewage canal and all the toxic and industrial effluents were flowing down it. “The dangerous water could percolate deep down and erode the foundation of the Taj Mahal.”
- Agra MP demands expert investigations for Taj Mahal - Oct 15, 2011
- Will the Taj collapse in five years? - Oct 09, 2011
- Yamuna clean-up operation begins in Taj city - Apr 20, 2012
- Rescue the dying Yamuna to save the Taj, appeal activists - Mar 25, 2012
- A park between Yamuna and Taj is eyesore to conservationists (With Image) - Oct 15, 2010
- Taj in real danger from dry polluted Yamuna (Lead, correcting name in last para) - Mar 05, 2011
- Taj in real danger from dry, polluted Yamuna - Mar 05, 2011
- Tourists feel cheated on Taj lighting event - Nov 13, 2011
- Hundreds of eco-activists clean up Yamuna - Mar 18, 2012
- Yamuna nears danger mark in Agra - Aug 28, 2010
- Agra begins to breathe easy, but clouds linger - Jun 13, 2011
- Taj in danger from dry Yamuna, delegation tells president - Mar 24, 2011
- 'Recognise Yamuna as heritage entity' (April 18 is World Heritage Day) - Apr 17, 2011
- Projects to save Agra monuments back on track - Mar 22, 2011
- City of Taj set for major tourism plans - Apr 02, 2011
Tags: braj, c mehta, conservation society, dangerous water, flora and fauna, hanging fire, heritage city, heritage conservation, heritage week, industrial effluents, jain, pil, pollution level, realtors president, sewage canal, shankar, supreme court case, taj mahal, tripathi, yamuna river