Underground pipeline poses no threat to Taj: Govt

New Delhi, Aug 8: The government today said the laying of an underground pipeline by digging deep in the Yamuna river, near the Taj Mahal, for providing drinking water to Agra City, would not cause any damage to the famous monument as well as to the Agra Fort.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Culture Minister Ambika Soni said the Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam had submitted a proposal to lay a pipeline for supply of drinking water to Agra City.

''After due examination of the proposal, permission has been granted by the ASI for laying an underground pipeline as it will not cause any damage to the Agra Fort or the Taj Mahal,'' Ms Soni informed the House.

The work would be executed under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), she said, adding that the UP Jal Nigam had been asked to take necessary clearance from concerned court/other agencies, if found necessary.

About the security aspects, the minister said CISF personnel, in addition to regular ward and watch staff, are deployed at the Taj Mahal for its security.

''Modern security gadgets are also installed at the Taj Mahal to make its security more effective. At the Agra Fort, private security personnel have been engaged along with the regular watch and ward staff.'' Replying to another query, she said the ASI had already installed centralised wireless radio communication network system interlinking all the 'ticketed' monuments of Agra, such as the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort, Itimad-ud-Daulah, Ram Bagh, Mehtab Bagh, Akbar's tomb, Sikandara, Mariam's tomb and Fatehpur Sikri with the circle office in Agra at a cost of over Rs five lakh.

''This network has helped the Circle headquarters to be in regular touch with the monuments and thus augmenting the security system in a cost-effective manner,'' she said.

UNI