Taj Mahal to become plastic-free

Taj Mahal, the 17th century structure which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is soon going to be plastic-free, as part of the Taj Mahal Declaration.

This World Environment Day, areas in and around the historic Taj Mahal are going plastic-free. The monument is visited by numerous tourists from across the world. In recent times the Taj Mahal has been turning yellow, as the area struggles with the problem of pollution.

The Taj Mahal Declaration has been adopted by Mahesh Sharma, Minister of Culture and Tourism and Civil Aviation; Erik Solheim, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); and actor Diya Mirza, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador. The declaration has been put in place with the aim to rid Agra of plastic, as this year’s World Environment Day theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution.”

“Excessive use of plastic is one of the prime problems leading to increased pollution in the world. It is the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve ‘Swachh Bharat’. It is an appropriate occasion to spread his message from the Taj Mahal to reduce plastic use, re-use, recycle, re-collect, re-design and re-manufacture it and to demonstrate our commitment to reduction of pollution caused by plastic,” said Mahesh Sharma.