It Will Take 9 Years to Clean Taj Mahal

Years of air pollution have stained India's Taj Mahal, turning its once-white marble facade into an unsightly yellow. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is using a 'mudpack therapy' to clean the pollution -- but the project will be a lengthy one, with the Times of India reporting it could take up to nine years to complete. Once finished, the process will have to be repeated every 6-7 years if pollution in the area remains at the same level. The cleaning of the interior has not been included in the plan.



In late 2014, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Wisconsin, the Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur and the Archaeological Survey of India teamed up to analyze the effects of pollution on the Taj Mahal. "Our team was able to show that the pollutants discolouring the Taj Mahal are particulate matter: carbon from burning biomass and refuse, fossil fuels, and dust - possibly from agriculture and road traffic," Michael Bergin, a professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology, says in a statement. According to the BBC, pollution from a nearby oil refinery in the nearby city of Agra is exacerbating the situation.

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