Agra:The iconic Taj Mahal and the prominent personalities visiting here are facing increasing threats of attack from high-rise buildings close to the country's top historical monument, officials said.
The Taj Security Police have identified at least 19 high-rise buildings so far around the Taj Mahal; out of these, three buildings have been declared the “most dangerous.” “There is a plan to deploy policemen on these buildings to prevent any attack as thousands of domestic and foreign tourists visit the Taj Mahal every day. Many prominent persons also come from within the country and abroad,” a senior official said.
There are three security zones inside the Taj Mahal. The police are responsible for the green and yellow zones, while the Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) is in charge of the red zone's security.
Early this month the Taj Mahal was subjected to a bomb threat sent via email. The tourism department received the email, following which a case was registered at Tajganj Police Station. Later, it turned out to be a hoax. However, security was beefed up in and around the historical monument following the threat. Several buildings, restaurants, and markets around the Taj Mahal were also marked for 24x7 surveillance.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Taj Security, Syed Areeb Ahmed, confirmed the development, saying that sixteen high-rise buildings were identified earlier and that three more buildings have been identified in the Basai area for the security of the Taj Mahal.
“With this, the number of high-rise buildings around the Taj Mahal has now increased to 19. There can be a danger of attack on the Taj Mahal and VVIP tourists from the roof of these 19 buildings with long-range weapons,” he said.
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