Action sought on Taj Mahal crematorium
NEW DELHI: India’s Supreme Court has ordered the government of Uttar Pradesh state to remove a wood-burning crematorium located near the Taj Mahal to protect the iconic monument from being affected by smoke.
Judges Tirath Singh Thakur and Chockalingam Nagappan said on Monday that the state government could either move the crematorium away from the monument or install an electric one in its place.
The judges were acting on a letter from another Supreme Court judge that said the white marble mausoleum was under threat of pollution because of smoke and soot emanating from the crematorium.
Judge Kurian Joseph said that on a recent visit to the Taj Mahal, he had noticed smoke and ash rising from the crematorium and was concerned about the effect of air pollution on the marble structure.
In their order, the two judges suggested that the state could move the wood-burning crematorium and also build an electric one at the current site.
This would allow people wanting to use wood pyres to do so, while others could use the electric crematorium, they said.
Hindus traditionally cremate their dead using wood fires.
The government has been trying to encourage people to use electricity-powered crematoriums.
With its gleaming dome and graceful spires, the Taj Mahal is one of the world’s most recognizable buildings, visited by more than 3 million tourists a year.
The monument’s domes and minarets, inlaid with semi-precious stones and carvings, is considered the finest example of Mughal art in India. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1983.
Resting on the banks of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra, the Taj Mahal was built in the 17th century by Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child.
Over the decades, the once pearly white Taj Mahal has been turning yellow because of pollution.
The government has closed scores of factories located near the monument and has tried to provide uninterrupted power supply in Agra so that residents do not have to use diesel-operated generators.
Earlier this year, the state government banned the burning of cow dung fuel cakes by city residents to prevent the dense black smoke from affecting the Taj.
Dried cow dung cakes are commonly used in rural areas as a cheap source of fuel for heating and cooking.
The court ordered the government of Uttar Pradesh, the northern Indian state where the Taj is located, to come up with a decision on its plans for the crematorium within 15 days.