Taj Mahal Pollution

                           Taj Mahal Pollution

In 1632, an emperor named Shah Jahan decided to build the Taj Mahal as a burial place for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Around 20,000 laborers spent 22 years building the amazing monument. In 2007 the Jaj Mahal was named one of the seven wonders of the world and that is quite a feat. And now 383 years later, it is not as white as it was. People have suspected air pollution  for a long time, but not with proof. A recent study found that much of the brown color comes from the dust from nearby farms. It’s common for people to burn cow dung for cooking fuel and to burn their trash. This releases soot, which sticks to buildings. Poll- utants from cars, trucks, and coal-burning factor- ies also have discolored the white marble. Using wet clay and patience, people have managed to take off the stains, but they have just put off the inevitable, the In the past few decades, some efforts have been made to reduce pollution around the Taj Mahal, including banning vehicles near the site. But now they have taken more jurassic measures. In January, Agra’s government banned the burning of cow dung in the city. People in the area may now also get fined for burning garbage. It They are still looking for more ways to cut down on air pollution in the area. Keeping such an amazing building with phenomenal history is extremely important in many ways. Hopefully people can change their ways to make sure we preserve such an outstanding building.

Cite:

Lowe, Lindsay. "All Classroom Magazines." Clearing the Air. Scholastic News, 13 Feb. 2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://magazines.scholastic.com/news/2015/02/Clearing-the-Air>.