Development would lead to monument being damaged, say campaigners
Plans for a tourist complex at the Taj Mahal, comprising shopping malls, restaurants and cinemas, have been shelved because of worries that it could harm the famous monument.
As reported by News From Abroad, the project sprung up just a few hundred metres from the legendary building, but the government has now called a halt to work because of fears that the new building could effectively divert the nearby Yamuna river during the monsoon season, damaging the Taj Mahal’s delicate stone base.
Furthermore, according to The Guardian, the Indian government is furious that the project started without being given federal approval. Conservationists claim the project was started without any prior environmental assessment; the Archaeological Society of India has reportedly now filed a police complaint against the National Project Construction Corporation, which the Uttar Pradesh state government hired for the scheme.
