Agra, Sep 12 (IANS) Taj Ganj residents, a locality around the Taj Mahal here, are passing days in fear as a possible Supreme Court demolition order looms over them, even as they claim to have natural rights to stay and work there.

In a meeting Monday night, residents decided to move the Supreme Court before any decision affecting their lives is taken by the court.

"Stones alone cannot constitute heritage. What of the people, their culture and life styles? How can people living for decades and involved in promoting tourism be thrown out?" an angry resident asked.

"Our forefathers built the Taj and served the royalty. We have natural rights to stay and work from where we are today," another resident of the Taj Ganj locality said.

Local MP cine star Raj Babbar will lead the movement to focus attention on their plight.

Hotel and Restaurant Association president Sandeep Arora, tourism association leader Abhinav Jain, advocate K.D. Sharma and representatives from various political parties attended the meeting Monday.

On Sep 18, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over the Krishna Mahajan committee report, which has recommended a green belt within 200 metres of the Taj Mahal and clearing of the structures at the southern gate of the mausoleum.

Krishna Mahajan, apex court's commissioner on M.C. Mehta's public interest litigation and two officials of the Central Pollution Control Board, had prepared a comprehensive report on measures to be taken to address security threats and control crowd movement. The report was already submitted.

Failure of the local bodies to implement the recommendations of a report filed with the apex court back in August 1996 has also become a major issue of controversy.

The Archaeological Survey of India and the Agra Development Authority were asked to regulate construction activities in the area and clear up the southern gate.

When action was initiated in this regard, the residents' protest snowballed into a full-fledged political movement, which forced the authorities to stop their work.