Talking tough, the Supreme Court today said authorities in India should display a "far greater concern" than shown by the UNESCO over the upkeep of Taj Mahal that has been affected by pollution.

The apex court earlier this month said protecting Taj Mahal has become a "hopeless cause" and slammed the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government and Archaeological Survey of India for their apathy in protecting the monument from pollution.

The court had also deplored the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) authority on environment protection in and around the Taj Mahal in Agra, asking it whether preservation of the monument was a "tamasha" (drama) or a "joke".

During the hearing on a petition on the preservation of the monument, the court was informed today by Attorney General K K Venugopal that the joint secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the commissioner of Agra Division would be the officers responsible for the maintenance of the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).

The bench was apprised that director general of the ASI would be responsible for the maintenance of Taj Mahal.

TTZ is an area of about 10,400 sq km spread over the districts of Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, Hathras and Etah in Uttar Pradesh and Bharatpur district of Rajasthan.

The remarks relating to the UNESCO by the bench of Justices Madan B lokur and Deepak Gupta came after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said it has given a plan on Taj Mahal to the UN body in 2013.

The apex court then asked why "from 2013 till 2018, nothing was doneIJ."

When the ASI's counsel said that the UNESCO was informed about the status of Taj matter, the bench said, "This is the problem."

"Organisation like UNESCO has to express concern about the situation (regarding Taj Mahal). It is an organisation of the United Nations. Our concern should be far greater than that shown by the UNESCO," it said. The ivory white marble mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.