Supreme Court Orders Removal Of Business Activities In 500 Meter Radius Of Taj Mahal

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a direction to the Agra Development Authority to immediately halt all commercial activities which come within the radius of 500 m from the peripheral wall of the Taj Mahal.

The bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay S. Oka issued the following directions in order to protect the iconic landmark site, "We allow the prayer and thus prayer 'A' of IA No. 91272/2022 reads as under: 'direct the Agra Development Authority to remove all business activities within 500 meters from the boundary/peripheral wall of the monument Taj Mahal which shall be in tune with Article 14 of the Constitution of India'."

The direction came on an application moved by a group of shop owners who had been allotted area outside the 500 m radius to run their businesses. They apprised the court by means of the application that illegal business activities are being carried out near the Taj which is in gross violation of the previous orders that had been issued by the Court.

Advocate M. C. Dhingra appearing for the applicants implored the court to issue orders to cease all such operations and ask the authorities to ensure strict compliance of the orders. Amicus Curiae in the matter, Senior Advocate A. D. N. Rao also supported the proposition that it would be in the interest of the monument for directions to be issued putting a stop on all the commercial activities happening in the vicinity of the UNESCO Heritage Site.

The Apex Court has in previous hearings passed various orders in the Public Interest Litigation filed by environmentalist Advocate M. C. Mehta in the year 1984, in order to strike a balance between the developments happening in the area and protection of the grand mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz in 1631.

Case Title. : M. C. Mehta vs Union of India - WP(C) No. 13381/1984

Click here to read/download the order