The much-debated 'Vision Document' prepared by the Delhi School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) for the protection of the Taj Mahal for another 100 years is scheduled to be placed before the Supreme Court of India on November 18, but not without a bevvy of angry protests against it.

With the IIT Kanpur's study on the composition of pollutants in the air of Agra and its causes still incomplete, local residents and civic organizations are demanding to know what is the hurry to present a flawed and lop-sided document before the Supreme Court.

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Agra Development Foundation secretary KC Jain said that information has been sought from the Central Pollution Control Board through an RTI regarding the progress of the IIT Kanpur study on pollution in Agra and in reply, the board has said that the samples of pollutants present in the air in the summer months have been sent to IIT Kanpur for analysis but the report has not yet been prepared even though the vision document is to be presented in the Supreme Court in just over a month's time.

He said that it is hard to understand how only the industries of Agra are being seen as responsible for all the pollution in the air when the factors causing pollution in the city are still being ascertained. Unless the state government presents a correctly prepared vision document in the court, it will continue to be opposed by the people of Agra.

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