A river that runs through the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has risen to lap the compound walls of the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra city, causing concern about damage to the 17th-century white marble monument.
The water level of the Yamuna river has increased over the last few days after unusually heavy rain in northern India, including Uttar Pradesh, which has received 108% of its normal rainfall since the four-month monsoon season began on June 1. According to India’s Central Water Commission (CWC), the portion of the river flowing alongside the Taj Mahal rose to 152 metres (499 feet) late on Tuesday, well above the warning level for potential danger of 151.4 metres. The level considered dangerous is 152.4 metres.
Local media outlets reported that the last time the river reached the walls of the monument, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his queen Mumtaz Mahal, was 45 years ago, in 1978. CWC data also indicates that its station near the monument recorded the river’s highest flood level that year at 154.76 metres. Visuals from the area on Tuesday showed the red sandstone boundary wall of the Taj Mahal surrounded by muddy water, with pieces of garbage floating in it, the mausoleum itself looming over the scene, untouched by the river. Officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which oversees the Taj Mahal along with several other monuments in the country, said there was “no serious concern” about the monument at present.