AGRA: The Uttar Pradesh government’s much-hyped programme of zero tolerance to use of disposal plastic, especially at Taj Mahal , hasn’t taken off as plastic water bottles and shoe covers still remain littered at the main mausoleum.A video, which went viral on social media on Tuesday, shows the main mausoleum littered with plastic water bottles and discarded shoe covers left by the visitors.The main mausoleum littered with plastic water bottles and discarded shoe covers left by the visitors.Officials of Archeological Survey of India, however, denied this and said that these pictures and video must have be taken at the time of cleaning of the monument. They claimed that their staff has been constantly collecting shoe covers and bottles thrown by the visitors.Bhuvan Vikram Singh, superintending archeologist, ASI (Agra circle), said, “This can’t be true as we have taken steps to improve the situation”. However, he added that the use of plastic bottles can’t be “fully stopped”, as tourists carry water with them at the monument, especially during the peak summer months.On being asked about the Union minister’s pledge of making the areas in and around Taj plastic-free, he said first Agra Development Authority (ADA) will have to stop selling plastic water bottles to “high-end tourists”. He said, “If we stop domestic tourists from carrying plastic water bottles, while allowing foreigners, it will create an ugly situation.”When contacted, ADA vice-chairman Radhey Shyam Mishra said that they are working on a plan of replacing plastic bottles with some other material. He claimed, “Very soon, we will come out with some proper arrangement and stop giving plastic bottles to tourists.”Rajiv Saxena, secretary of Tourism Guild Association, said that it was “unfortunate” that everyone is trying to shrug off his responsibility. “Before any declaration, officials should have done some ground work for alternate arrangements, otherwise no scheme will be ever successful,” he said.On June 3, Union minister for culture and environment Mahesh Sharma had administered a pledge to Agra residents for making areas around Taj Mahal free of litter and polythene. He said that people should reduce the presence of single-use plastic products in a radius of 500 metres of the monument. The pledge was taken in the presence of Erik Solheim, executive director of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), goodwill ambassador and actress Diya Mirza, local MPs, MLAs and administrative officials, among others.

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