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(a) whether attention of the Government has been drawn to the 2-Km stretch of the Yamuna bed between the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal which has been filled up with a 5 ft. base of soil and about 800 labourers are at work on a 1600 metre land, 5 ft. high wall that stretches from the Ram Bagh bridge near the Fort to the Shamshan Ghat close to the Taj; and
(b) if so , the reaction of the Government thereto?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS ( SHRI DILIP SINGH JU DEV )
( a ) & ( b ) The Government of U.P. has taken up reclamation work in river Yamuna without any approval of the Taj Heritage Corridor Project from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. On 16th July, 2003 the Hon`ble Supreme Court of India has ordered Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI) to inquire into the entire issue and submit an Interim Report to the Hon`ble Court within a period of four weeks and has given two months time for the submission of the final report by CBI whereafter appropriate orders will be passed. The matter is, therefore, sub-judice.