Our very own worlds of wonder, Taj Mahal is suffering from discoloration because of the air pollution which is causing this, and the Mahal is turning brown. People are burning their city garbage openly which is increasing air pollution. Proper waste management is required rather technological fixes, study shows.
A preventive measure has taken by studying the 262nd report of effects of air pollution on Taj, which was submitted in Rajya Sabha in 2015. The white marble of Taj is turning brown due to the polluting emissions. Many steps have taken such as restriction of vehicles near the complex, prohibiting the building of new enterprises that might be able to pollute the air, but they can build in a given zone, installation of scrubbers and filters on smokestacks and banning of cow dung burning which is used as cooking fuel.
One practice which we try to curb but fail every time is the burning of garbage or burning of crop waste in North India during this winter which is under the scanner and counted as a major reason in the polluting air. This practice is ignored to a greater extent.
A report by Indo-American scientist shows that Agra is growing rapidly with less municipal solid waste (MSW) management system which results in a large amount of garbage left on the street.
Solid waste is openly burned on the streets or nearby residents who contribute to the air pollution. MSW contributes between 5% -11% of primary particulate emissions. Polluting particles goes deep inside the lungs to affecting the monuments.
Sachchida Tripathi, professor of civil engineering at IIT Kanpur said that “after looking at the study of burning cow dung cakes, MSW is the main contributor to pollution.”
Tripathi further added, “We can save hundreds of life every year by maintaining garbage as it’s a managerial problem and not technological.”
The study has done by Tripathi and Michael Bergin team suggesting that there is a high concentration of particles which are causing discoloration.
Recent research by International Center for Integrated Mountain Development shows that burning of garbage causing 12 times more discoloration.
The managerial problem is not only affecting our Taj but also our health and causing Global warming to a greater extent.
