Saving Taj: No one firm can protect the mausoleum, government must play a role

Amidst growing concerns about the deterioration of the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh government has floated the idea of the Unesco world heritage site being brought under the Centre’s ‘Adopt a Heritage Scheme’ that allows public and private companies to care for monuments. This approach, however, will not suffice. A public or private firm can ensure the cleanliness of the monument and provide amenities like toilets and drinking water. But what ails the Taj today is a deep deterioration of the surrounding environment. From the general rise in air pollution to the utter degradation of the Yamuna river, several factors have combined to rob the Taj of its lustre.

Thus, a firm can’t be expected to turn the Taj around. For example, one of the reasons for the discolouration of the Taj’s white marble is the sharp increase in the population of tiny, non-biting midges in the Yamuna. Their green faeces gives the Taj a green tint. The growth of the midges in turn is due to the Yamuna having practically gone dead in Agra, thanks to drains between Panipat and Agra discharging untreated wastewater into the river.

Plus, wood burning crematoriums continue to operate near the mausoleum. All of this necessitates a comprehensive approach to the preservation of the Taj. To be fair, UP government is not unaware of this. Its vision document filed in the Supreme Court prescribes measures such as no construction on Yamuna floodplain, reducing dependency on petrol and diesel in the heritage zone and increasing tree cover. But lack of implementation continues to be a challenge. The deterioration of the Taj exemplifies why subcontinent sized India attracted just 10 million tourists last year compared to tiny Singapore’s 17 million. Tourism needs a more comprehensive approach.