SC Asks Centre To ‘Restore’ Or ‘Demolish’ Taj Mahal

New Delhi: The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition on proper maintenance of Taj Mahal, on Wednesday said the 17th-century marble marvel is more beautiful than the Eiffel Tower and could have solved the country’s foreign exchange problem too.

“Eighty million go to watch Eiffel Tower which looks like a TV Tower. Our Taj is more beautiful. If you had looked after it, your foreign exchange problem would have been solved,” quipped the judges on the case.

Slamming the Centre over its depleting condition, the apex court said, “Either we will shut down the Taj or you demolish or restore it.”

The SC also expressed anguish over the Uttar Pradesh government failure to come out with a vision document to preserve and protect the Taj Mahal.

Mushrooming of industries near the Taj had been a concern and the court asked the chairman of the Taj Trapezium Zone to explain the violation of the ban order on expansion of such units.

The Centre informed the apex court that a study to find the exact source of the pollution is being done by IIT-Kanpur and a committee has been formed to decide the next course of action.

In May, the SC had remarked that the colour of the iconic white monument was changing to brown and green from yellowish due to pollution. The top court had also blamed the Archaeological Survey of India for failing to preserve it.