The Supreme Court criticised the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) for failing to maintain the Taj Mahal. The pristine white of the Taj Mahal is slowly but steadily turning green and brown due to algae.
The Apex Court was quoted saying, “The problem is that ASI is not willing to accept that there is a problem. This situation would not have arisen if the ASI had done its job.”
The Court also said the ASI should not be protecting one of the Country’s renowned structure if it was not willing to accept there is a problem.
At the hearing, the ASI attempted to justify by saying, “The floor in parts of the Taj is dirty because of people walking there. We don’t give socks to everyone, only those who don’t have, the rest go in their own socks.”
The judges suggested disposable socks that are used abroad while visiting old monuments. The ASI then began talking about how the Taj Mahal was facing an algae problem. The Court questioned how the algae reached the top parts of the monument. To this, the archeological body stated, “It flew there.” The Court was puzzled and questioned, “Can algae fly?”
Justices M. B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta said, “We don’t know whether you have or perhaps don’t have the expertise. Even if you have the expertise, you are not utilizing it.”
The Court concluded serious action needs to be taken before it is too late. The Taj Mahal is a 17th Century stunner and requires regular care.
