Agra: A sharp rise in illegal constructions around some of India’s most iconic heritage sites has exposed serious enforcement failures, with an RTI disclosure revealing no punitive action over the past decade despite thousands of violations.
Encroachments are spreading rapidly around 154 protected monuments in Agra, including the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Data obtained under the Right to Information Act shows that 3,913 illegal constructions have been identified in the last 10 years, yet no fines have been imposed and no violations have resulted in convictions.
The Archaeological Survey of India has limited its response to filing police complaints, with little evidence of follow-up action on the ground. This has raised concerns about coordination failures between the ASI, local administration and law enforcement agencies.
Illegal structures have proliferated in sensitive zones, particularly from the eastern gate of the Taj Mahal to Asad Gali. More than 15 fresh complaints have been reported in just the past month in this area alone. Similar violations continue within the 200 metre prohibited zone around Agra Fort.
In Fatehpur Sikri, encroachments have spread across restricted areas extending up to Hiran Minar. Over the past three months, more than 100 police cases have been registered in connection with illegal construction near the tombs of Akbar and Mariam, but enforcement on the ground remains ineffective.
Heritage activist Akash Vashistha alleged that authorities are underreporting the scale of the problem. He pointed out that RTI responses from September 2023 and April 2025 recorded the exact same number of violations, suggesting that new encroachments are not being officially documented.
The situation persists despite strict directives from the Supreme Court of India and legal provisions under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. Amendments introduced in 2010 required authorities to prepare detailed site plans and regulations for protected monuments, but these measures have yet to be implemented.
Taking a serious view of the issue, the Allahabad High Court has issued notices to both the Centre and the state government while hearing a public interest petition and has sought an explanation for the lack of enforcement.