Katheria was addressing a symposium held at the end of the Heritage week, at Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society function recently.

Katheria said he would intervene in the Supreme Court case to plead for restoration of Yamuna, and present arguments to prove that the foundation of the Taj Mahal was indeed under threat from a dry river.

Speakers demanded heritage city status for Agra. This demand flowing from the 1996 judgment of the Supreme Court in the MC Mehta's PIL, was still hanging fire.

Chandra Kant Tripathi, registrar of Central Hindi Institute said Heritage extended beyond stones and included flora and fauna, culture, cuisine, traditions and language.

REDCO president KC Jain said heritage pride and consciousness had to be inculcated in the masses. Jain said additional data and evidence would be placed before the Supreme Court to prove that the Yamuna river was being neglected and its high pollution level could prove dangerous to the safety of the Taj Mahal.

Speakers said the river had been reduced to a sewage canal and all the toxic and industrial effluents were flowing down. "The dangerous water could percolate deep down and erode the foundation of the Taj Mahal."