is taj mahal safe?

Has Agra lost the war against environmental pollution????


IS TAJ MAHAL SAFE ?





Agra June 4: Two decades of fire-fighting operations at the intervention of the Supreme Court, to insulate the Taj Mahal, a world heritage monument, questions continue to be asked whether the environment in the Taj Trapezium Zone has really improved and if the Taj Mahal is safe from air pollution.



Tourists visiting the Taj continue to ask guides if the original shine of the white marble mausoleum is intact, or has the Taj turned yellow. And those who dare look at the river Yamuna at the rear of the Taj, need no answers. The ugly Taj Corridor and the stinking Yamuna are a grim reminder that the reality hasn't changed much, though thousand crores of rupees have been squandered away on fancy promises. Another Rs 50 odd crores are being spent now to beautify Agra for the October Commonwealth Games.



But the official point of view on the pollution front is that there has been a remarkable change in every sphere with positive results. Dr BB Awasthi, regional officer of the UP Pollution Control Board told IANS "the air quality has improved, the SPM level has come down from around 900 in 2000 to 300 micrograms per cubic metre, a 67 percent reduction, though the NOx level is still high due to use of diesel generators on a big scale and increasing number of vehicles on the road. Traffic management and better condition of roads has helped reduce air pollution. Daily 35,000 kilograms of CNG are being consumed as clean fuel by the autos, buses and other vehicles instead of diesel. Availability of clean fuel will increase in days to come when we will have ten CNG stations. Right now we have only three. The Sulphur dioxide is within limits. All parameters of air pollution look safe and ok."



The Mathura Refinery which had been cited as the original villain has taken appropriate measures to keep the pollution level in check. The dense green cover insulates the refinery and filters the air before it escapes into the ambient air, and all pollution control systems are in place, assures DGM Vijay.



The Supreme Court in December 1993 while disposing of the MC Mehta PIL had directed polluting industries in the Taj Trapezium to shift or switch over to natural gas. This move alone has helped drastically bring down the air pollution level. The apex court wanted cooking gas made available to all citizens of the city. This mission has largely been accomplished and gas connections are available for the asking, say the IOC officials.



A significant change has been the introduction of Marco Polo buses which are gradually replacing the auto-rikshaws as a mode of commuting within the city. "No longer does one feel choked or suffocated at the road crossings like the Bhagwan Talkies or the Shah Ganj crossing," says Rajeev Gupta, a businessman.



Greening efforts in the past few years have also started yielding results, as the horticulture department and the Forest division are playing a more proactive role by involving the citizens, the students and the green activists. "The area around the Taj Mahal is now fully green and we are constantly trying to expand the green cover," say the forest department officials.



Pathetic, say the citizens of Agra when one confronts them with the question "has life in Agra become better after the Supreme Court intervention?" Senior citizen Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, point to the heaps of garbage piling up ubiquitously, perpetually jammed traffic on the roads, the choked sewer lines and the over-flowing nullahs, the high-rise buildings coming up just everywhere, most without sewer connections and treatment plants. "The air is foul and stinking, the water of the river is contagious, not fit to even touch, the roads are barren of green cover, the noise pollution level has gone up several folds, the illegal encroachments eating up all vacant spaces, they are even encroaching upon the green belt," Sharma presents his list of failures.



Mughal historian R Nath feels a lot has to be done to save the monuments. "India's top architectural attraction as also the biggest revenue earner the Taj Mahal has not received the care worthy of its status. The rear of the mausoleum is totally exposed to the elements. If in the coming years the tilt of the minarets increases or the mausoleum itself shows signs of sinking or stress, it should not come as a surprise as the original physical settings of the whole area have been tampered with and the ecological balance disturbed beyond redemption," warns Mughal historian R Nath. "If you look at the old photographs and original drawings you will find the river full and flowing close to the foundation. The surroundings were lush green. The backdrop was picturesque.The river water had the capacity to absorb any amount of pollution in the air. What now?" asks R Nath.

The whole of Braj Mandal which once had numerous mangroves and a dozen dense forests is now under stress of urbanisation. The stone mafia despite ban on mining in the Aravalis, as also in areas bordering Fatehpur Sikri continues its operations clandestinely. The gaps in the Aravalis right from Delhi's Dhaula Kuan area to North Gujarat, have allowed hot dust-laden winds to assault the Agra region. "This is a serious ecological problem which needs urgent attention," says Vineet Narain of the Braj Foundation. According to Dr Manju Mehta "there is mention of 137 groves associated with the pastimes of Radha and Krishna in Braj. Only three have survived the onslaught of human negligence.



The mining for stones has left gaping holes for dusty winds to hit monuments like the Taj Mahal working as sand paper to roughen the surface of the fragile white monument. "Citizens of the area must be mobilised and sensitised to the new dangers. Our heritage, the river, the forests and our very existence is in danger," says Father John Farreira, an educationist. ENDS