Other States - Uttar Pradesh   

Ambitious Master Plan for Agra

LUCKNOW, AUG. 22. To preserve the archeological heritage of Agra in wake of rising population and horizontal expansion of municipal limits, Uttar Pradesh government has approved an ambitious Master Plan 2021 for the city which houses the famed monument of love.

Under the master plan, more than 20,000 hectares of land in Agra would be utilised for urban acitivities, including housing, commerce, industries, tourism, community services, transport, parks, amusement and entertainment centres, parks and parking spaces.

Agra Master Plan 2021 would also incorporate Taj Express Way, non-polluting industrial units, bus terminals, barrages, educational centres, sewage treatment plant and dumping ground to preserve the unique character of the city and its monuments from pollution.

Secretary, Housing and Urban Planning, Jai Shankar Mishra said around 9,100 hectares of land was earmarked for the purpose earlier.

However, the revised Master Plan 2021 takes into account the requirements of urban population of 22.5 lakh as estimated by 2021 and focussing on city's historical and archeological significance.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (UPTDC) would be celebrating 350 years of Taj Mahal by organising several tourism festivals from September this year.

UP tourism minister Kokab Hamid said here today the state government has declared 2004-05 as `International Year of the Taj'.

Moreover, in an effort to attract greater number of tourists from the East and Northeastern states, the UPTDC, in association with the Indian Railways, had chalked out an attractive six days seven nights roundabout railway journey from Kolkata covering Varanasi, Chunar, Vindhyachal, Agra, Allahabad and back to the city from October 20.

UP is one of the top tourist destination in India with more than 71 million domestic tourists and 700,000 foreign tourists visiting the state last year. In terms of percentage, the two figures had recorded 26.5 and 16.1 per cent growth compared to previous year.

Agra was visited by more than eight million domestic and 825,000 foreign tourists last year followed by Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Vrindaban and Mathura.

- UNI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• BJP likely to expel five rebel MLAs
• Ambitious Master Plan for Agra

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu