Taj trapezium project's phase II gets green signal
Buoyed by a decline in the pollution levels around the Taj trapezium with the successful implementation of the first phase of the afforestation project, the state administration has okayed the Rs 15.90-crore second phase.
According to a report compiled by the UP Pollution Control Board, the level of pollutants like SO2 and NO2 have come down since 1991, the year the project was launched.
The green lungs (trees) have minimised pollution to a very low level and have, therefore, minimised the decolouring of the white marble of monuments like the Taj Mahal, Sikandra, Fatehpur Sikri and the Red Fort.
Confirming the results, chief conservator forests (social forestry) R S Shukla said that aggressive greening of the area had helped them achieve the desired results.
Apart from the Red Fort and the Aitmat-ud-Daulah Tomb, the two World Heritage monuments, there are about 42 monuments in the Taj trapezium which need protection from pollution.
Approved by the Mission Management Board headed by the chief secretary, the phase II of the Taj trapezium project would continue till 2006. Under this, about 2,131 hectares, mainly in Agra, Mathura, Hathras, Firozabad and Etah, would be used for advanced soil work and plantation.
The success of the plantation scheme assumes significance since a report prepared by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur, had pointed out how "pollution inventory of Agra reflected high concentration of NO2, SO2 and CO2".
Apart from a vigorous re-run of the plantation campaign in the Taj city, this phase envisages greening of "sensitive receptors" of pollution like the heritage monuments and the 42-hectare landstrip along the NH-2 (Delhi-Agra-Kanpur), NH-3 (Delhi-Agra-Mumbai) and NH-11 (Jaipur-Agra) highways.
A 30-hectare green belt is also being planned around the Mathura refinery, about 45 km from the Taj Mahal.
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