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Taj Mahal is 'slowly sinking'

15th March 2012

One of India’s most iconic sites, the Taj Mahal, is reportedly sinking as a result of damage to its supporting structure

According to architects, the monument is tilting and slowly sinking. The Yumuna River, which supplies the monument's foundations with moisture to retain its strength, is becoming increasingly dry. Cracks have also begun to appear in the building's structure.

While under construction, architects took all the possible measures to make sure that the Taj Mahal was completely stable; its weight was distributed evenly and strong bonding materials were used. In spite of these precautions, one of the slender minarets has titled 3.5cm over the last 30 years.

Experts have suggested reservoirs should be built to ensure the river doesn't dry up and the foundations remain stable.

Over time, dams and canals have restricted the water flow of the Yumuna River, while deforestation has led to soil erosion and blockages. However, the main damage is  caused by the drawing of water for industrial purposes and use by the growing  populations of Haryana, New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

India's most iconic monument was built over 350 years ago by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a symbol of love for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It attracts more than three million visitors to Agra every year. 

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 Your Comments (3)

  • 15th March by The Epic Adventurer

    That is incredibly sad!  I wonder how the reservoir effort would work, given the fluctuation in rain season to season... are there going to be adverse environmental effects of this effort?


    Report as inappropriate

  • 16th March by Liz Cleere

    Nooooo!!!

    Mind you, the lack of rain in India is a problem for people as well as buildings. After two years of living here and travelling around, we've heard from locals all over the country that water is gradually becoming more scarce.

    The shorter, less reliable monsoons have caused this problem. And why are the monsoons changing? Well, that's a whole debate about climate change and global warming...


    Report as inappropriate

  • 16th March by Liz Cleere

    Nooooo!!!

    Mind you, the lack of rain in India is a problem for people as well as buildings. After two years of living here and travelling around, we've heard from locals all over the country that water is gradually becoming more scarce.

    The shorter, less reliable monsoons have caused this problem. And why are the monsoons changing? Well, that's a whole debate about climate change and global warming...


    Report as inappropriate

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