Concerns Grow Over Insect and Bacterial Colonies Threatening the Taj Mahal's Luster

Agra, Oct 22: Just as the new tourist season gains momentum, alarm bells are ringing again about the proliferation of insect and bacterial colonies on the pristine white marble surface of the Taj Mahal, the 17th-century symbol of love and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The dry and polluted Yamuna riverbed, as in previous years, has created an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, insects, and bacteria that settle on the Taj's surface, facing the river. Tourist guide Ved Gautam stated, "These green patches are periodically cleaned by the ASI staff, but the stench and unsightly spots reappear with alarming regularity."

Last year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed local authorities to address the issue of insect breeding on the Yamuna riverbed. However, the responsible agencies expressed helplessness due to the dry and heavily polluted state of the river, filled with effluents, sewage, and toxins. They questioned, "How can this problem be managed without a regular flow of fresh water in the river?"

Environmental activist Devashish Bhattacharya noted, "What flows in the name of water is actually poison—a polluted liquid with zero oxygen levels and a high concentration of chemicals and trace elements, some of which are carcinogenic." The local administration has organized cleanliness drives, but until the river receives an adequate water flow, pollutants cannot be diluted and water remains unsafe, added Bhattacharya.

River Connect Campaigners in Agra have expressed disappointment with the Yogi Adityanath government's lack of initiative in cleaning the Yamuna River, which urgently requires dredging and desilting. In 2013, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to clean up the Yamuna in the Braj Mandal region. On several occasions, Union Minister Nitin Gadkiri discussed launching a ferry service between Delhi and Agra for tourists. However, these promises remain unfulfilled, and the river, once the lifeline of the Braj Mandal, has become a vast sewage canal, according to river activist Padmini Iyer.

The Yamuna River is already suffering from pollution and industrial effluents as it enters the Braj Mandal region, upstream of Vrindavan. The Gokul Barrage in Mathura stores only polluted and odorous water due to untreated discharges from drains. Jagan Nath Poddar of the Friends of Vrindavan highlighted the poor state of the river and the lack of drainage treatment.

In addition to massive desilting and dredging efforts, experts suggest the need for a mechanism to ensure a consistent flow of fresh water into the Yamuna from upstream barrages. The inadequate flow of water, particularly during the extended dry season that now spans up to eight months, remains a significant hindrance to cleaning the river.

The National Green Tribunal and the Supreme Court of India have emphasized the importance of maintaining a minimum flow in the river to sustain aquatic life and promote cleaning. However, state governments and regulatory bodies have failed to guarantee an uninterrupted flow of fresh water downstream of Haryana's barrages.

A parliamentary committee identified poor water flow downstream of Wazirabad in Delhi as a significant obstacle to cleaning the Yamuna river. They stressed the need for close cooperation between the Central and Delhi governments to address the issue.

Campaigners and expert groups have urged the government to establish a clear environmental flow quantity for the Yamuna, similar to what has been done for the Ganges, to protect the river's health and ecosystem.

River activists in Agra call for a well-defined national rivers policy and a time-bound action plan to save the Yamuna River, an integral part of Hindu mythology and tourism in the Agra region. As numerous Mughal monuments from Delhi to Agra line the Yamuna's banks, the river's cleanliness, flow, and pollution are of grave concern and demand urgent attention.