Eco-friendly autos facing red-tapism to ply freely in
Agra
by Brijesh Kr. Singh
Agra:
Taj Mahal, the historical monument of love in Agra
city of Uttar Pradesh, has been one of the major tourist
attractions not just for the domestic or foreign tourists
but also for any world leader visiting India for the first
time. Over the years, the 17th century built Taj Mahal
has witnessed a threat to its beauty from rising pollution.
Environmentalists and others have expressed serious concerns
about the Taj Mahal's beauty getting affected by rising
pollution-level on several occasions. But the local authorities
despite being aware of the problem have failed to show
any drastic measure to the satisfaction of the concerned
experts or activists. One such example of their unconcern
can be noticed by the way the authorities have bothered
to give permits to the eco-friendly auto rickshaws near
Taj.
Since
1996 these eco-friendly auto rickshaws have been plying
in Agra. But these battery run auto rickshaws are waiting
for the day when all of them would get legal permits from
State government to ply. But it appears authorities still
need time to realize their positive impact. These autos
are environment-friendly since they do not pollute the
air with exhaust fumes and thus help in the perseverance
of ecological balance. These battery run auto rickshaws
ferry tourists and other passengers from the centre of
city to the Taj Mahal and back. Out of the 65 auto rickshaws
only 23 are plying with a valid permit of the regional
transport officer (RTO). "RTO people have said that only
few autos have the legal permit to ferry passengers. Earlier,
we used to think that these autos don't need any objection
certificate (NOCs) and let them operate. But now we will
be maintaining proper records of these autos," said Mujjafar
Ali, member of Security Committee of Taj Mahal. "Regional
Transport Authority of Agra decided that from the eastern
and western gates of Taj Mahal, only battery operated
autos are going to ferry passengers to and forth from
Taj Mahal, and later they can use their own vehicles.
This way ecological balance of the city can be maintained,"
said V. K. Sonkiya, Regional Transport Officer. "Vehicle
of other States can move in Uttar Pradesh, only if they
are private, as rules are not strict for private vehicles
but they are strict for commercial ones," Sonkiya added.
According to the officials of RTO, these battery-operated
autos can prove to be dangerous in context of the security
of Taj Mahal, as many of the battery-run rickshaw are
not having permit from the Government. "This particular
drive is to round up those unauthorised battery operated
autos plying near the Taj Mahal. Today, we found three
to four autos that were not having respective permit papers.
We are checking more autos to scrutinise all those autos
which are without permits," said Sunita Verma, Assistant
Regional Transport Officer, Agra.
The
Government of Uttar Pradesh has taken up this exclusive
drive to avert any mishap at this popular tourist spot.
While such a concern is appreciable, it is shocking that
an organ of the same Government is least bothered in giving
a green signal to eco-friendly auto rickshaws to ply and
ferry the stream of tourists for the love of monument.
It may be recalled that environmentalists had expressed
their anguish at the damage caused to the snow-white marble
by fumes of industrial and vehicular emissions, which
would not occur with battery operated auto rickshaws.
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan had built Taj Mahal, the mausoleum,
in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal in 1632.
Today many describe Taj Mahal as the finest example of
Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from
Indian and Islamic architectural styles, especially those
of Persia and Turkey. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a
UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel
of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired
masterpieces of the world's heritage." While the white
domed marble mausoleum is its most familiar component,
the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures.
Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653,
and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen. Ustad
Ahmad Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal
designer of the Taj Mahal.
-Dec
7, 2008
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