Taj Trapezium Zone PREPARATION OF VISION DOCUMENT First Draft Report Volume I July 2018 DRAFT FIRST DRAFT FIRST First Draft Report Vision Document i.Table of Contents 0 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND 1-1 1.2 INTRODUCTION TO TTZ 1-2 1.3 OBJECTIVES, SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY 1-3 PART A: ISSUES AT TTZ, AGRA & PRECINCT LEVEL 2 ENVIRONMENT ISSUES AT REGIONAL LEVEL 2.1 GENERAL 2-1 2.2 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 2-1 2.3 NATURAL RESOURCES 2-3 2.4 FOREST RESOURCE 2-6 2.5 SURFACE WATER RESOURCEDRAFT 2-6 2.6 GROUND WATER RESOURCE 2-9 2.7 AIR POLLUTION 2-7 2.8 WATER POLLUTION 2-18 2.9 HEALTH 2-20 2.10 WASTE 2-27 2.11 DISASTER 2-31 2.12 EPIDEMICSFIRST 2-33 2.13 TERRORISM 2-35 2.14 INFRASTRUCTURE 2-35 2.15 ENERGY 2-56 2.16 HOUSING 2-37 2.17 AGRICULTURE 2-37 2.18 ANIMAL HUSBANDRY 2-38 2.19 INDUSTRIES 2-38 i-i 3 ISSUES OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING 3.1 INTRODUCTION 3-1 4 LINKAGES AND TRANSPORTATION 4.1 TTZ LEVEL 4-1 4.2 AGRA LEVEL 4-1 4.3 OTHER SETTLEMENTS IN TTZ 4-6 4.4 TAJ PRECINCT LEVEL 4-8 5 ISSUES OF HERITAGE: NATURAL, TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE 5.1 REGIONAL SCALE: TTZ AREA 5-1 5.2 CITY SCALE: AGRA CITY 5-18 5.3 PRECINCT SCALE: TAJ PRECINCT 5-31 6 URBAN SETTLEMENT FORM, SPACE AND IMAGE DRAFT 6.1 EMERGING ISSUES AT REGIONAL (TTZ) LEVEL 6-1 6.2 AGRA SPECIFIC ASESSMENT 6-5 6.3 ASSESSMENT OF OTHER SETTLEMENTS IN TTZ 6-15 6.4 ASSESSMENT AT TAJ PRECINCT LEVEL 6-26 PART B: STRATEGIES, RECOMMENDATIONS & ACTION PLAN FIRST 7 ANCHOR WISE STRATEGIES & RECOMMENDATIONS 7.1 ANCHOR I: RESTORING THE BALANCE BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT 7-1 7.2 ANCHOR II: REDEFINING THE ROLE OF RIVER 7-10 7.3 ANCHOR III: REGIONAL EQUITY AND NETWORKING OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES 7-15 7.4 ANCHOR IV: DEFINING GROWTH TRAJECTORIES AND FUNCTIONAL BASE 7-21 7.5 ANCHOR V: ASSESSING INFRASTRUCTURE (PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL) AND INCORPORATING FUTURE NEEDS 7-35 i-ii First Draft Report Vision Document 7.6 ANCHOR VI: MULTI-MODAL URBAN STRUCTURE AND PUBLIC PLACES AND MOVEMENT PATTERNS 7-41 7.7 ANCHOR VII: REDEFINING THE IMAGE STRUCTURE 7-51 8 ACTION PLAN & TIMELINE 8.1 FIRST DRAFT ACTION PLAN 8-1 BIBLIOGRAPHY ii-i DRAFT FIRST i-iii DRAFT FIRST First Draft Report Vision Document 1 Introduction 1 1.1 BACKGROUND Concerns regarding the environmental threat to the Taj Mahal was voiced in the Hon'ble Supreme Court through a Public Interest Litigation filed by the noted "Green" Advocate Mr. M.C.Mehta. The Writ Petition No. 13381/84-M.C.Mehta V/s Union of India & others raised several issues pertaining to the environmental pressures on the monument as well as the socio-economic and physical conditions of the city. The concern regarding the environmental threat to the Taj has been articulated in the landmark judgement of Hon'ble Justice Shri Kuldeep Singh dated 30/12/96, “The Taj is threatened with deterioration and damage not only by the traditional causes of decay, but also by the changing social and economic conditions which aggravate the situation with even more formidable phenomena of damage and destruction." Originating as a result of the Writ Petition No. 13381/84-M.C.Mehta V/s the Union of India & Others, the Taj Protection Mission refers to a group of projects intended to check the deterioration of the Taj MahalDRAFT on account of the environmental pollution. The Central Pollution Control Board delineated the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) in 1983, 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 in this zone on the critical receptor- The Taj Mahal. This area was declared as an “Air Pollution Protection Area.” Preceding theFIRST 1996 judgement and following it many studies were commissioned on identifying the factors deteriorating the Taj Mahal. These studies have also indicated an improvement in air quality. First, the Court ordered that the polluting units in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal be identified. Mainly foundries; glass and bangle manufacturing units; and chemical and engineering industries were found to be using coal and other polluting fuels. The court also ordered that the Gas Authority of India Ltd would supply cleaner fuel—natural gas—to these units.The court, in its 1996 judgement and subsequently, asked for many other things to be done such as creating a green belt; building a bypass for heavy traffic; ban on brick kilns within 20 km from the Taj; supply of uninterrupted power so that the use of generators is negated; and ban on diesel-driven, light-duty vehicles and three-wheelers within 500 1-1 metres of the monument. The court-ordered air quality-monitoring stations, located both near the Taj and in the industrial outskirts of the city, to prove the difference. Inspite of the above efforts the Taj Mahal and its environs is still under threat. It needs to be assessed if there are new sources of pollution that were not accounted for; or is it because of non-implementation of the directions of the court,or is it because the new sources of pollution, development pressures and activity intensity thatis threatening the monument. the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has again upheld the protection of Taj and its environs, in its Order dated 08.12.2017: “……In our opinion, a detailed and comprehensive vision document and plan with a futuristic perspective which can protect and preserve the Taj and its environs and indeed the Taj Trapezium Zone spread over six districts of Uttar Pradesh and District Bharatpur in Rajasthan for a few hundred years at least should be prepared. This exercise will require expertise from all stake holders including those concerned with cultural heritage, historical heritage, environment and wild life, etc. etc. and of course, prevention of pollution. The concerned authorities will consult not only officials but also persons from the civil society including the petitioner Mr. M.C.Mehta,DRAFT who has spent more than 33 years in making efforts to protect the Taj and its environs.…..” 1.2 INTRODUCTION TO TTZ The Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), which is in the form of trapezium, is bounded between 26045’N & 77015’ E to 27045’N & 77015’E in the west of Taj Mahal and in the East of Taj Mahal between 27000’N & 78030’E to 27030’N & 780 30’E. The TTZ is spread over 6 Districts: FIRST 1. Agra: State of Uttar Pradesh 2. Mathura: State of Uttar Pradesh 3. Firozabad: State of Uttar Pradesh 4. Hatras: State of Uttar Pradesh 5. Etah: State of Uttar Pradesh 6. Bharatpur: State of Rajasthan The Taj Trapezium zone also includes small parts of Aligarh and Dholpur. The region as a whole encompasses an area of 10,400 sq. kms..Each of these regions has its own importance in the contribution to the region’s economic growth. The natural and 1-2 First Draft Report Vision Document cultural setting in each administrative unit varies widely and promotes sectoral development accordingly. The region covers sensitive areas such as the Taj Mahal in Agra, Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Soor-Sarovar bird sanctuary in Agra, and Mathura&Vrindavan are important religious destinations. In view of the above court order, the Department of Tourism, Government of Uttar Pradesh, vide its Letter D.O. No. 989/ Agra-TTZ/ 2017 dated 27th November 2017 has invited the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi to prepare the Vision Document and Comprehensive Action Plan for protection of Taj Mahal and its surrounding Environment. An agreement was signed between the Taj Trapezium Authority, Agra and School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi on 15th March 2018 for preparation of a vision document for sustainable development, environmental and heritage protection of the area along with a comprehensive action plan in reference to the environment and other matter based on the principles of “Sustainability”. A draft Vision document was to be submitted within four months after signing of contract followed by the Final Vision Document within two months after incorporating the suggestions. 1.3 OBJECTIVES, SCOPE ANDRAFTD METHODOLOGY The task of preparation of the Vision Document for protecting the Taj Mahal for a couple of hundred years, assumes an understating and somewhat scenario building of the nature of development that would take shape in a hundred years. Even though an ambitious task, it needs to be undertaken as the current trends of growth and development indicate a rapid decline of natural and cultural resources, thereby deterioration of living conditions and inevitable neglect of built heritage. The Taj Mahal is a metaphor, and any vision to protect it also means a vision for sustainable developmentFIRST for a couple of hundred years. The team at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (comprising of five disciplines of Environment Planning, Urban Planning, Transport Planning, Heritage Conservation and Urban Design) humbly acknowledges that even though this is a mammoth task, the present document takes the initial steps to develop a comprehensive and integrated action plan, based on field visits, stakeholder consultations, review of ongoing/proposed projects/plans in the region (Refer Annexure 1.1 for appraisal of the projects/plans) and factual assessments to address the protection of degraded ecosystems and improve the quality of life in human settlements and thereby ensuring the protection of the Taj Mahal.