Can we save the Taj Mahal?

The claim that the Taj Mahal was once a temple seems to resurface with metronomic regularity, never mind that there isn’t a scrap of evidence to support it.

That dubious question aside, the real threat to the Taj — one of the world’s ‘seven wonders’ and arguably India’s biggest tourist attraction, for Indians and foreigners alike — is the damage being done to its structure. Not the kind of slow attritive damage that might have been understandable over many centuries of its existence, but the damage wrought by administrative neglect and policy myopia.

Recently, a large plant was spotted growing on the central dome of the Taj Mahal, likely due to the accumulation of rainwater. Water has been seeping down to the tombs of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal, but the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India), which is in charge of the upkeep and preservation of monuments of national importance, appears unfazed. ‘Due to heavy, continuous rain, a few droplets have been seen; it is not a serious structural problem,’ the ASI said in a statement.

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, the conservation risks to the Taj Mahal are multi-dimensional, but the measures taken so far to protect and preserve it have been superficial at best. The white marble is turning yellow, and for the past 30 years, governments have done little more than express concern and take superficial action like banning the use of cow-dung cakes (used as fuel) and tandoors in Agra and relocating some industrial units to reduce pollution.

Despite the Supreme Court’s orders, the cremation ground and dhobi ghat next to the Taj have not been relocated. The Central Pollution Control Board has repeatedly reported that levels of nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and suspended particulate matter around the Taj are four times higher than the safe limit. One big reason for this is that every sewer in Agra drains into the river Yamuna, turning it into a chemical and urban waste dump.

The most noteworthy step taken in Agra city in the name of pollution control seems to have been painting the city’s diesel-powered auto-rickshaws green!

Many industrial units were forced to shut down after a PIL (public interest litigation) led the Supreme Court in 1993 to order the closure of around 550 factories for the Taj’s sake. However, except 65 units in Firozabad, most of these factories installed pollution control systems, received certificates from the pollution control board, and were allowed by the court to reopen.

Factories in adjacent or nearby Mathura, Firozabad, Hathras, Bharatpur and Aligarh continue to release hundreds of tonnes of sulphur dioxide daily. It’s really no wonder the marble of the Taj is yellowing and darkening.

The biggest threat, though, comes from the Yamuna itself. When the Taj was built, its foundation was laid to the depth of the river’s water level. The foundation consists of narrow bricks and lime arranged in the shape of wells, filled with lime and wood shavings. There are around 350 such wells.

The foundation was designed to stay perennially wet with water from the Yamuna. However, the constant manipulation of the river has damaged this delicate balance. The leaning of the minarets and cracks in the main structure are primarily due to this disruption.

The Yamuna’s altered course has been a long-standing issue. In 1942, the Survey of India reported that the Taj had sunk 1.44 inches into the Yamuna. That same year, tourists were banned from climbing the minarets, a rule still in force. Despite several reports over the years highlighting this danger, tampering with the Yamuna continues.

In 1965, renowned historian Prof. Ram Nath warned that to preserve the beauty of the Taj, the water level in the Yamuna must be maintained at the same level as it was in the 17th century. In 1993, engineers from University of Roorkee (now IIT-Roorkee) also confirmed that the minarets of the Taj were leaning due to reduced water levels in the Yamuna. The civil engineering team cautioned that the Taj had sunk 80 mm under its own weight.

Despite strict directives from the Supreme Court and cautionary warnings from international organisations, a corridor project was initiated in the year 2000 between the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Not just that, plans were floated to dry the riverbank and build a marketplace there.

Although the court intervened and eventually halted the project, the Taj had already suffered. The construction disrupted the flow of the river, and the unfinished corridor has now become a garbage dump for the Agra Municipal Corporation. Methane gas, emitted from this rotting waste, is incredibly harmful to the marble of the Taj.

The latest disaster facing the Taj Mahal is the cracking and chipping of its stones and intricate carvings. In several areas, the exterior marble pillars have visibly split. While officials do not consider this a major problem, the Taj Mahal is currently, hold your breath, receiving ‘face pack’ treatment.

The government’s hope is to “massage” the monument back to its original sheen.

The ASI is applying a layer of multani mitti (fuller’s earth) in an attempt to restore the lustre of the marble. Previous experience has shown that while the treat-ment makes the marble glow for a few months, it eventually returns to its previ-ous state. Fuller’s earth is essentially aluminium silicate, commonly used to clean sheep’s wool as a dye or bleach. The paste is applied to the exterior walls of the Taj and falls off on its own in two days. The marble surface is then cleaned with distilled water.

Similar treatments were done in 1994, 2001 and 2008. Don’t be surprised if we get to a point where this treatment is needed every year — or a point where this is seen as the only recourse.

For those who are not in denial of the real problem and not counting those who couldn’t be bothered what happens to the Taj, saving this monument of ethereal beauty requires a three-pronged strategy: first, protect it from dust, debris and water seepage into its structure. This demands regular monitoring and immediate resolution.

Second, the river Yamuna must be kept clean and free-flowing near the Taj. This is a difficult, yet most critical, task — and sadly no serious work is happening in this direction, not even in Delhi, let alone Agra.

Third, a long-term plan is needed to make residents within a 100-kilometre radius more environmentally conscious. About time we found a way to inculcate a culture of caring for our built heritage.