Restore or demolish Taj Mahal: Supreme Court slams Centre

New Delhi, July 11: The Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Centre for not taking steps to protect the world heritage site, Taj Mahal, dubbing the issue of preserving the historic medieval structure a "hopeless cause".

The apex court said that authorities have been lethargic towards the upkeep of the Taj Mahal. It also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government for its failure to come out with a vision document to preserve and protect the monument.

A bench of Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said no concrete steps have been taken by the government, despite a parliamentary standing committee report on Taj's protection.

The Centre, in its reply, said that a special committee has been set up to find the source of pollution in and around Taj and suggest measures to prevent it. IIT Kanpur will also assist and assess the air pollution level in and around the Taj Mahal.

The committee will submit its report in four months time, the Centre told SC. The top court said that it will hear the matter on a daily basis from July 31.

PTI