India: Taj Mahal covered in dust, poisonous gases

Agra: A few days after 'unlock' the Taj Mahal in Agra is surrounded by clouds of dust and poisonous gases due to air pollution and construction work being done in the nearby areas.

"The city is in a terrible state due to rising air pollution. People are facing severe breathing issues but the administration is not paying any heed to the situation. There is growing dust in the air, which is spoiling the monument as well as human health," Ashish Singh, local resident, told ANI.

Taj Mahal is among the Seven Wonders of the world.

"Agra stands at the ninth position on the most polluted cities in India. There is construction going on everywhere. We're facing a lot of breathing issues because of the rising pollution," said Gaurav Gupta, another resident.

Syeed Munnwar Ali, Chairman, National Memorial Safety Committee spoke about how the administration plans to curb down rising pollution and damage to the Taj Mahal. "We have initiated plantation drives across Agra to induce fresh oxygen in the air and lower the pollution level. We have instructed all construction sites so that they reduce dust and dirt emanating from those sites," Ali told ANI.

He further added, "To protect the Taj Mahal, 100 electronic buses will soon be introduced, which will be driven in the 20 meters radius of the monument. These buses will not emit any harmful gases and protect the white marble from diminishing due to pollutants."