Minutes of a recent meeting of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) accessed by TOI revealed that about 40 to 50 such industries may have dubiously expanded their capacity and are allegedly being supplied natural gas at a subsidized rate.

The Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) is a 10,400 sq km area around the monument. The Supreme Court in 1996 had directed industries operating in the zone to stop expansion and change over to natural gas from coal or coke as industrial fuel.

Industry bodies such as the Northern India Glass Manufacturer's Association (NIGMA) who are unhappy by the anomaly in gas supply pricing claimed that these industries were allowed to do so by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and District Industries Centre (DIC), Agra, because of their proximity to a political party.

In their letter to Chairman of TTZ Authority which includes several agencies like the ministry of petroleum and natural gas and the Pollution Control Board, NIGMA members said that-"as against a total gas allotment of 1.8 lakh standard cubic metre (SCM) per day to 26 industries in 1996, the allotment has increased to 6.1 lakh SCM in 2013, about four times the limit".

The minutes of the MoEFCC meeting chaired by additional secretary, Susheel Kumar on October 15, 2014 says that the ministry had received complaints of illegal expansion in Firozabad from members of parliament, chief ministers, industries and even former president of India. District magistrates of Agra and Firozabad who were both present at the meeting denied the allegations.

The minutes indicate that instead of setting up new industries with new names the old industries have allegedly changed ownership under the old name. This is why the change is not reflected by the certificates issued by DIC.

NIGMA has submitted a list of industries to MoEFCC that have been established and expanded by using the names of old, long shut industries in TTZ. It also submitted the scale of losses to the exchequer due to supply of subsidized gas at Rs 16 per SCM in TTZ while the rate is Rs 42 per SCM outside.

A senior official from MoEFCC confirmed that the meeting was held and discrepancies are being enquired into. "The commissioner, Agra, and chairman of TTZ have been asked to provide information unit wise which will be submitted to the collector and the ministry. The production capacity of these industries will also be assessed," he said. UPPCB has also been asked to submit a report on units that were given consent to operate and information on their capacities.

The pollution potential of natural gas is far lower than coal or coke. But despite this the pollution levels in the TTZ have increased sharply over the years especially nitrogen oxides which have doubled from 1996 levels according to data from the ministry. "Air pollution is increasing in TTZ area and this was corroborated by UPPCB. District wise pollution trend shows especially rising trend in Firozabad since 1996," the minutes said, revealing that the TTZ action plan of 1996 which was supposed to slash pollution levels may have failed completely. High vehicular population in the zone has added to the pollution crisis around the Taj along with expansion of industries, say experts.