Taj Mahal under attack! Insects leave black stains on marble structure, experts point to Yamuna pollution: Report

Taj Mahal is under attack! The breeding insects in Yamuna river are attacking the 17th century Mughal structure and leaving black and slimy green stains on the marble carvings. According to a Times of India report, Taj Mahal is not stranger to such ‘invasion’. But the rising pollution means that the bug attacks that used to happen only in the month of April and October are happening more regularly. The TOI report says that the experts have identified an insect named Goeldichironomus as the culprit for the stain attack. The TOI report says the Archaeological Survey of India’s Agra officer Vasant Swarankar blamed the breeding insects in Yamuna as the reason behind the latest menace.

While the ASI is working hard to get rid of the stains, but nothing can be done about the insects in the river. The only solution is to clean Yamuna so that the water doesn’t remain stagnant. Earlier, in a bid to save the iconic Mughal structure, UP told the Supreme Court that it will shut down all factories in Agra.

The apex court has been monitoring development in the area to protect the Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal at Agra in 1643. The ivory white marble mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2018, due to heavy pollution, Taj Mahal was reportedly turning yellow and green. According to a Reuters report, an environmental lawyer told India's Supreme Court that tiny insects from the drying Yamuna River into which the city pours its sewage crawl into the Taj Mahal, their excrement further staining the marble.

The change in colour has not come out of the blue. Environmentalists and historians have long warned about the risk of soot and fumes from factories and tanneries dulling the ivory monument, the Reuters report had said.