Unlock 3: With COVID Guidelines in Place, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort Set to Reopen From September 1

Issuing a notification in this regard, District Magistrate PN Singh said that all monuments, except Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, have been excluded from the list of 'Buffer Zones'.

New Delhi: After nearly six months, the district magistrate of Agra on Thursday ordered to reopen the historic monuments in the city, including Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, from September 1.

Issuing a notification in this regard, District Magistrate PN Singh said that all monuments, except Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, have been excluded from the list of ‘Buffer Zones’.

“All monuments, except Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, have been excluded from the list of ‘Buffer Zones’; they will be re-opened for visitors from September 1, as per their scheduled timings,” Agra District Magistrate PN Singh said.

All monuments, except Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, have been excluded from the list of 'Buffer Zones'; they will be re-opened for visitors from 1st September, as per their scheduled timings: District Magistrate, Agra pic.twitter.com/ltdrPxsQKe

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PN Singh, earlier in the day, held a review meeting in this regard and said the district administration is planning to reopen the historic monuments in the city including Fatehpur Sikri and Sikanadara Tomb along with Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in the first phase.

The development comes as the coronavirus situation in the city is under control now. Other officials were of the opinion that with social distancing and other guidelines in place, these monuments should be opened to save lakhs of jobs of tourism professionals and to allow tourists to view these historic places.

These historic monuments were supposed to reopen from July 6 but got delayed as coronavirus cases were high in this district of the state. Moreover, these monuments were coming under the COVID-19 buffer zones in July.

The Central government had on July 2 announced that all monuments across the country will be reopened to tourists from July 6 after remaining closed for more than three months because of the corona situation.

Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday recorded 2,638 deaths. As many as 1,15,227 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while the number of active cases was 49,645. The total cases of coronavirus infection in the state has gone up to 1,67,510.