One of the Seven Wonders of the World is suffering from enormous levels of air pollution, as it is India’s single most visited tourist attraction, with an estimated 8 million tourists visiting the UNESCO site every year. The nearest city is New Delhi, and it is reported that it recently hit an all-time high level of air pollution, 20% more than the World Health Organization’s “safe level”. The large amounts of emissions, as well as bug excrements, are tainting the once ivory-white marble mausoleum into a dark green hue. Much of the damage is due to air pollution, but also the contamination of the Yamuna River, which flows behind the Taj. This was a call to action for an unnamed private firm, according to Uttar Pradesh authorities, who mobilized two vans able to purify 1.5 million cubic meters of air in 8 hours. Officials were vague on exactly how the vans work and whether they were on short or long-term loans, but it certainly is a step forward. Besides the vans, crowd control measures have been much stricter recently, considering that the price of entry has increased, and there is a time limit for visitors for both Indian and non-Indians.
