The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is looking into possible environmental violations near the Taj Mahal, sending notices to the central government, the Uttar Pradesh administration, and other groups because of worries about illegal activities that could be hurting the sensitive environment around the famous monument. This shows how worried people are about things like unauthorized building, cutting down trees, and taking over land. These actions could negatively impact the heritage site’s environment and nearby green areas.

Concerns Over Illegal Building and Tree Cutting

The NGT’s main office in New Delhi is looking at a complaint from Jagan Prasad Tehriya, claiming that the Agra Development Authority did construction work in Shahjahan Park, a green space between the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, without following environmental rules. The complaint says that kiosks, paved paths, and brick-cement structures were built. Also, they dug pits near the roots of very old trees, which hurt plant life and disturbed the homes of birds and butterflies.

The complaint also says that the Agra Municipal Corporation is building a concrete selfie point on green land next to the Agra-Gwalior Highway. It also claims that private individuals have taken over the required green buffer zones and that trees were cut down without permission during metro construction. These violations may go against Supreme Court orders that protect the environment in the area.

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Authority Responses and Legal Responsibilities

Notices were sent to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Government of Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, district officials, the Taj Trapezium Zone Authority, and the Agra Development Authority. The NGT has told the respondents to submit their replies within four weeks, and follow-up hearings are planned for March 12, 2026.

According to a Supreme Court order from May 2025 in the M.C. Mehta case, cutting down any tree within five kilometers of the Taj Mahal requires permission from the Supreme Court, no matter how many trees are involved. This rule was mentioned in the petition to support the claims of rule-breaking.

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Broader Situation and Preservation Work

This NGT action is happening while there are ongoing environmental pressures in and around Agra. Authorities have also approved installing new air quality monitoring stations to track pollutants that could affect the Taj Mahal’s marble and structure, aiming to assess and reduce environmental risks, but the tribunal’s involvement shows that enforcing rules is still very important.

In conclusion, environmental violations near the Taj Mahal have caused the NGT to ask for responses from central and state authorities, highlighting the urgent need to support environmental rules and protect one of India’s most valued heritage sites.

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