Taj Declaration to Beat Plastic Pollution was adopted here today as part of which efforts would be made to make the 500-meter area around the historic ivory-white marble monument litter-free and phase out the single-use plastic.
The adoption of the declaration – in presence of Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma, UN Environment Programme Executive Director Erik Solheim, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Diya Mirza – came ahead of the World Environment Day on June 5.
Before the adoption of the declaration, the Culture Ministry held a stake-holders’ workshop chaired by Sharma.
The workshop focussed on curbing pollution near the 17th-century monument and drawing short-term and long-term plans to deal with the problem.
According to an official statement, a pledge was taken to make the 500-meter area around the Taj Mahal litter-free and take steps to phase out single-use plastic from the area.
Solheim expressed happiness that the UN slogan of Beat Plastic Pollution for this year’s Environment Day on June 5 is being highlighted from the Taj Mahal. The coming together of all the stake-holders is heartening, he said.