Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Taj Mahal Falling Victim to Heat and Dust
By Brij Khandelwal
Agra: Taj Mahal appears to be losing its shine as it battles pollution, dust-laden winds from western desert and sand from dry Yamuna river bed. What's more, the heat is affecting tourism.
Rising suspended particulate matter (SPM) level in city and effluents released by industries have made the Agra environment unfit as much for stone monuments as for humans.
Firoz Khan and Aftab, photographers at Taj, said the sun was too bright and Taj looked pale yellow in the afternoons, particularly with clouds of dust rising in the background from Yamuna. "Since there is no water in river, the dust keeps rising and hitting the monument's surface which almost seems to have pockmarks," Aftab said.
"Dry Yamuna remains a major threat to the Taj from the point of view of aesthetics as well as architecturally as the foundation rests on wells," says noted Mughal historian Ram Nath.
Mercury too has been above 40 degrees Celsius on most days this month and crossed 46 degrees Sunday.
"Temperature in May seldom goes that high and many of the tourists who had come never anticipated what they were in for," said Gyanesh Verma, a travel agent.
At the white marble monument to love, foreign visitors in particular have had a harrowing time walking through the burning hot red stone pavements that are totally exposed to the elements. A couple of years ago, in May, for instance, the Taj attracted 154,710 domestic tourists and 14,364 foreign tourists. But this year, the number of foreign visitors to Taj has already drastically declined in the past few days. Several tourists have been victims of a heat stroke.
Archaeological Survey of India has made some arrangements for shoe covers and cool water for tourists at Taj but Fatehpur Sikri, Sikandra and Etmauddaula have no such facilities. Nasir Hussain, a local visitor who recently toured Sikri, cursed and abused the staff there for ignoring tourist interests. "It is such an ordeal in this hot weather to go to the Sikri complex. Water coolers are not working and once you go out of the complex to fetch a bottle of water, they won't let you in without a ticket," Hussain complained.
Over the years, as a result of large-scale mining activity in Aravali ranges and denudation, dust-laden winds from the neighboring deserts of Rajasthan directly enter Agra causing the SPM levels to shoot up. "The dusty winds which were earlier blocked by Aravalis manage to reach Agra through the gaps that have been created by miners. Several studies and satellite pictures have confirmed this," says Vinay Paliwal of the NGO Agra Rural Development Association.
S.K. Saha, officer in charge of Central Pollution Control Board office here, admitted that the SPM level in Agra remains alarmingly high, though there has been some decline in the percentage of noxious gases.
Agra: Taj Mahal appears to be losing its shine as it battles pollution, dust-laden winds from western desert and sand from dry Yamuna river bed. What's more, the heat is affecting tourism.
Rising suspended particulate matter (SPM) level in city and effluents released by industries have made the Agra environment unfit as much for stone monuments as for humans.
Firoz Khan and Aftab, photographers at Taj, said the sun was too bright and Taj looked pale yellow in the afternoons, particularly with clouds of dust rising in the background from Yamuna. "Since there is no water in river, the dust keeps rising and hitting the monument's surface which almost seems to have pockmarks," Aftab said.
"Dry Yamuna remains a major threat to the Taj from the point of view of aesthetics as well as architecturally as the foundation rests on wells," says noted Mughal historian Ram Nath.
Mercury too has been above 40 degrees Celsius on most days this month and crossed 46 degrees Sunday.
"Temperature in May seldom goes that high and many of the tourists who had come never anticipated what they were in for," said Gyanesh Verma, a travel agent.
At the white marble monument to love, foreign visitors in particular have had a harrowing time walking through the burning hot red stone pavements that are totally exposed to the elements. A couple of years ago, in May, for instance, the Taj attracted 154,710 domestic tourists and 14,364 foreign tourists. But this year, the number of foreign visitors to Taj has already drastically declined in the past few days. Several tourists have been victims of a heat stroke.
Archaeological Survey of India has made some arrangements for shoe covers and cool water for tourists at Taj but Fatehpur Sikri, Sikandra and Etmauddaula have no such facilities. Nasir Hussain, a local visitor who recently toured Sikri, cursed and abused the staff there for ignoring tourist interests. "It is such an ordeal in this hot weather to go to the Sikri complex. Water coolers are not working and once you go out of the complex to fetch a bottle of water, they won't let you in without a ticket," Hussain complained.
Over the years, as a result of large-scale mining activity in Aravali ranges and denudation, dust-laden winds from the neighboring deserts of Rajasthan directly enter Agra causing the SPM levels to shoot up. "The dusty winds which were earlier blocked by Aravalis manage to reach Agra through the gaps that have been created by miners. Several studies and satellite pictures have confirmed this," says Vinay Paliwal of the NGO Agra Rural Development Association.
S.K. Saha, officer in charge of Central Pollution Control Board office here, admitted that the SPM level in Agra remains alarmingly high, though there has been some decline in the percentage of noxious gases.
# posted by mediabhartiwebsolutions @ 3:59 AM 
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