Court order on Taj Mahal

INDIA’S Supreme Court has slammed the federal government for a second time within weeks for lethargy in taking steps to protect the Taj Mahal.

The court yesterday ordered the government to furnish full details of the steps being taken and action required for protecting the monument. Last month, a judge told government officials they appeared to be helpless after an environmental lawyer argued that pollution and insect dung were discoloring the 17th-century building.