Bharat Maa’s sar ka taj can’t breathe. Air purifiers guard the gates of one of the wonders of the world in our country. The Taj Mahal is made of white marble that has crystalline composition. That allows light to easily enter the structure. It’s an architectural masterstroke. Sadly, Shah Jahan did not gear up for north India’s fatal air pollution so toxic it is turning white marble pale yellow.
What’s going on
The air pollution in India has earned it fame all over the world. The titles of the world’s most polluted cities belong to India for 13 of the top 20 places. To combat the same, Agra government roped in a private agency for installing 2 air purifiers near Taj Mahal. They operate out of vans sporting logos of telecom company Vodafone. Authorities claim that they can purify 1.5 million cubic metres of air in eight hours, but theses numbers cannot be confirmed, at least not yet anyway. Taj Mahal welcomes 80 lakh tourists a year out of which about 10% are from foreign countries. The picture of visitors wearing pollution masks at Agra has gone viral and temporary face lifts has always been Agra’s response to the problem.
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For 2 decades white has been turning green and mud packs have been the way of the government. Meanwhile, green belts have ruthlessly been cut down for industrialization. In July 2018, the Supreme Court threatened to demolish Taj Mahal furious at the government for allowing factories to expand near the mausoleum. Yamuna carries toxic waste, flies and feces to the foot of the country crown. Yet, waste disposal continues to burden the dying river. Taj Mahal has literally brazed the weather at 50 degrees every summer. Pollution AQI levels were just the final punch, all we need now is four nails in the coffin.
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We deserve better
Climate change is not a moralistic problem in the individual capacity. You and we can keep planting trees, but not much will change until the government gets involved. Locals go to school and work in severe pollution levels while Taj Mahal uses air purifiers to put a band-aid on a bullet wound for tourists. In the name of progress, we are laying waste to our homeland, our only land, and ourselves with it. Burning eyes and bad throats is just normal life in north India. It’s time to demand what we deserve. Even the richest class in our developing country does not have access to something as basic as clean air. What use is this development? Economy is not breathing well either. Let’s find out how we can truly help, not just ourselves, but our communities too.
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