Saving the majesty of TAJ : Only eco-friendly industries permitted in TTZ
As per the recent announcement by National Green Tribunal (NGT), only small, micro and macro level eco friendly industries might be allowed in Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).
Responding to the plea filed by a Rajasthan resident challenging the order of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) which granted the clearance to a mineral mining project to a firm at the various locations such as Kandoli, Ghata, Bokoli, Mahalpur, Kachhi, Baroli, Dahina, Ranpur, Jatroli, Lakhanpur, Rajpura, Ranpura villages in Bharatpur, the green panel said the project in question is a ‘red category’ project entailing the blast within 10 km of TTZ, hence environment clearance is liable to be nullified.
The basic ground of the petition was that the project will affect Taj Mahal, which is a World Heritage site, the expert appraisal committee (EAC) did not validate whether the project could be allowed in the TTZ area.
According to the bench, however in absence of any representation by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and the project proponent, the ministry can be directed to pass an appropriate further order in the matter within two months and till such a decision is taken, but no mining activities will be allowed during this term.
An area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan come under TTZ which was marked under Supreme Court of India to save the sheen of TaJ Mahal from inky dark haze in the air.
