By Sudeep Lavania / Updated: Nov 16, 2025, 11:44 IST
Agra: The Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) planned on 1,058 acres along Agra’s Inner Ring Road has received conditional approval, opening the door to a major industrial expansion expected to generate thousands of jobs across sectors.
The Supreme Court–appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) allowed the felling of 553 trees and the translocation of 997 while imposing stringent environmental safeguards. The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) had sought approval for the project last year, proposing the removal of 5,084 trees. In its recent submission, the authority revised the estimate to 4,087 trees, a substantial reduction from the original figure.
The SC, after reviewing the updated proposal, sought the CEC’s opinion on the project which is expected to position Agra as a modern, investment-ready industrial hub with integrated infrastructure and planned land use.
In its 95-page report, the CEC recommended compensatory afforestation, directing authorities to plant 15,500 trees to offset the 1,550 affected.
In addition, only industrial units with low pollution emissions as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standards will be permitted to operate in the cluster.
Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) chairman Shailendra Kumar Singh, who is also Agra’s divisional commissioner, has been designated as the nodal authority to ensure compliance with the conditions.
The IMC is part of the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor, nearly half of which runs through Uttar Pradesh. The project, to be implemented by the National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) and UPSIDA, will focus on non-polluting industries. The state government expects the cluster to attract investments worth around ₹3,400 crore.
The Supreme Court will now consider the CEC’s recommendations. “The CEC has submitted its recommendations, and the matter is now before the apex court. The SC will need to carefully examine the conditions laid out by the committee as the TTZ is an eco-sensitive zone and its green cover functions as the lungs of the region,” said Sharad Gupta, an Agra-based environmentalist.
Note: The Taj Trapezium Zone is an ecologically sensitive area of about 10,400 sq km around the Taj Mahal and adjoining regions, where tree felling and industrial activity are regulated to protect the environment and heritage structures