A bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel was hearing a petition raising concerns about rampant destruction of green cover and illegal encroachments in Agra district.
The plea specifically targets activities around Shahjahan Park, a historical green area located between the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. It alleges that the Agra Development Authority is constructing kiosks, paved paths, and cement structures within the park, some of which have involved digging near century-old trees, severely damaging their roots and impacting the natural habitat of birds and butterflies.
The tribunal also recorded allegations against the Agra Municipal Corporation for raising a concrete structure intended as a “selfie point” in a green belt area near Madhu Nagar on the Agra-Gwalior highway.
In addition to official bodies, the plea accuses private individuals of cutting trees and illegally building on the mandatory green belt along the highway, further worsening the environmental situation.
“The original application raises substantial issues relating to compliance of environmental norms,” the bench observed in its order dated December 23. Consequently, the NGT issued notices to all concerned authorities, including:
- The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Government of Uttar Pradesh
- Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board
- District Magistrate, Agra
- Police Commissioner, Agra
- District Forest Officer
- Taj Trapezium Zone Authority
- Agra Development Authority
The matter has been posted for further proceedings on March 12.
Agra falls within the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a notified environmentally sensitive area meant to safeguard the Taj Mahal from pollution and ecological damage. The TTZ includes strict environmental controls on industrial and development activity. Repeated violations in the zone have triggered concern among conservationists and the judiciary.
