New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Centre and said the authorities are lethargic in taking steps to protect the Taj Mahal. "It is sheer lethargy on the part of authorities," the top court said.
Dubbing the protection issue of the historic monument as 'a hopeless cause', the apex court expressed anguish over the Uttar Pradesh government's failure to come out with a vision document to preserve and protect the Taj Mahal.
It directed the Centre to furnish full details of the steps taken and action required to be taken for protecting the iconic monument.
A bench comprises 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 informed the bench that the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur is currently assessing air pollution level in and around the mausoleum and will submit its report in four months.
It said a special committee has also been set up to find the source of pollution in and around the Taj, which will suggest measures to prevent it.
The bench said it will hear the matter on a day-to-day basis from July 31, 2018.
(With inputs from PTI)
