Is the Taj Mahal Doomed?

Industrial pollution is eating away India's great monument

It has been called the greatest compliment ever paid to a woman. Built 3 1/2 centuries ago by the bereaved Mogul Emperor Shah Jehan as a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal (Chosen of the Palace), the Taj Mahal is perhaps the most extravagant and beautiful mausoleum in the world. Made of shimmering white marble from Rajasthan, its domes and minarets glow so brightly, even in moonlight, that large sections were wrapped in burlap during the most recent India-Pakistan war out of fear that Pakistani aircraft might use it as a beacon.

Such precautions may not be needed in the future. Growing industrial pollution is slowly darkening the gleaming monument. Some worried Indian conservationists figure it may be totally discolored in 50 years.

The Taj has survived past threats. In the second half of the 18th century, it was looted of precious stones, gold panels and two silver doors. The elements have also taken their toll. But these earlier assaults may pale beside the damage that could come from the industrialization of Agra (pop. 1,250,000), which creates great clouds of pollutants. Worse still, the Taj is located in the valley of the Yamuna River, where atmospheric inversions trap corrosive agents for days at a time.

Though only about 1% of the Taj's surface has been affected, the damage is already distressingly obvious. Marble that was once a bright white is now streaked with pitting that gives it a yellowish cast. Some red sandstone of adjoining buildings has actually begun to flake. The chief culprits are believed to be coal dust and sulfur dioxide fumes; these help create sulfuric acid that attacks the calcium carbonate of the marble. Most of the pollution comes from two coal-fired power plants, a large railroad switching yard and myriad small coal-burning foundries. Still more pollution may be in the offing from a new oil refinery in nearby Mathura.

At the Indian Heritage Society's urging, the government is considering means of protecting the Taj, India's greatest tourist attraction (more than 3.5 million visitors a year). It has installed pollution-monitoring gear. It has also promised to relocate the power stations and foundries and to replace coal-burning locomotives with diesels. But these are expensive, perhaps ultimately unworkable solutions. Meanwhile, workmen are repairing and replacing marble slabs as fast as they can. So far, though, the pollutants are winning the race. sb

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