SC expresses concern over changing colour of Taj

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the changing colour of the iconic Taj Mahal apparently due to pollution and rapped the government saying "perhaps you don't care".

It directed the government to take urgent steps to restore the pristine glory of the ancient monument at Agra.

The court pulled up the authorities for not taking appropriate steps to preserve and protect the Taj after petitioner and environmentalist M C Mehta said that the monument had earlier turned yellow and is now going brownish and greenish in colour.

It asked the Centre to take the assistance of experts from India and abroad to first assess the damage and then take steps to restore the 17th-century white marble mausoleum.

While perusing the recent pictures of the Taj Mahal, a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta observed, "this is now becoming the eighth wonder of the world".

"First it was yellow and now it is becoming brown and green," the bench commented and asked Additional Solicitor General (ASG) ANS Nadkarni, who was representing the government, as to why the colour has changed.

Nadkarni told the bench that management of Taj Mahal has to be done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

However, Mehta said the condition of the monument has become "horrible" as the authorities did not pay any heed to the court's directions.

To this, the bench told the authorities, "We do not know whether you have or perhaps do not have the expertise. Even if you have the expertise, you are not utilising it. Or perhaps you do not care".