Fuel-guzzling vehicles to go off Taj Trapezium Zone

Agra, Jan 30 (IANS) Commercial vehicles running on diesel and petrol will not be permitted to run in the eco-sensitive Taj Trapezium Zone from July 31.

The Central Pollution Control Board delineated the Taj Trapezium Zone on the basis of the weighted mean wind speed in twelve directions from Agra to Mathura and Bharatpur. The boundaries of the zone were made keeping in mind the effect of any pollution source on the critical receptor - The Taj Mahal.

Divisional Commissioner Pradip Bhatnagar, who heads the Taj Trapezium Zone Authority, has directed the regional transport offices of Agra, Mathura and Firozabad to ensure that vehicles switch over to CNG before the July 31 deadline.

Agra has around 14,000 small, commercial vehicles called loaders.

The commissioner has already banned the burning of cow dung cakes in the city to control air pollution, which recent reports said was affecting the Taj Mahal.

Petha (sweetmeat) units have also been asked again to shift to Petha Nagri, outside the city, as most of them are concentrated in the Noor Darwaza area, located in the heart of the city.

On Thursday evening, district authorities along with police and a team of the municipal corporation sealed four petha units for using coal, whose use is banned in the Taj Trapezium Zone.

A unit of the famous Panchi petha was sealed. Additional City Magistrate Shyam Lata Anand said the units utilising coal have been warned of stern action. If need be more raids would be conducted on the units violating orders, she said.