Advertisement
Agra, a city in North India, found itself grappling with a serious air pollution problem as a dense shroud of smog blanketed the iconic Taj Mahal on Monday. The Taj Mahal, a 17th-century marvel that draws millions of tourists from around the globe, was barely discernible beneath the thick smog layer, as online videos showcased.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Taj Mahal in Agra engulfed in a layer of haze today amid the rise in air pollution levels.
(Visuals shot at 9:35 am today) pic.twitter.com/VWFXeX3CFz
— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2023
Expressing their disappointment, a visitor who had come to see the Taj Mahal commented, “We have been waiting for an hour but nothing can be seen,”.
This is not the first instance of the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s wonders and a pinnacle of Mughal architecture, vanishing behind a smog curtain. In 2021, images of the smog enveloping the Taj Mahal became a viral sensation on various social media platforms.
Around 11 am in Agra, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 171, classifying it as “moderate.”
On Monday morning, the concentration of PM2.5 in Agra was reported to be 6.5 times higher than the air quality guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Meanwhile, in Delhi, which is approximately 240 kilometers away from Agra, air quality remained severely polluted for the fifth consecutive day on Monday morning, with the AQI still in the ‘severe’ category.
The national capital continued to grapple with apocalyptic levels of air pollution, with an overall AQI reading of 488.
In response to the escalating air pollution levels, the Delhi government has ordered the closure of schools up to class 5 until November 10. Schools for classes 6-12 have also been advised to conduct online classes.
