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This is an archive article published on July 18, 2023
Yamuna floodwater reaches Taj outer wall, for the first time in 45 years
ASI officials say no threat to Taj, water unlikely to enter the 17th century iconic monument
Agra: Visitors look at the swollen Yamuna river as seen from the Taj Mahal, in Agra, on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. (PTI Photo)
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Yamuna floodwater reaches Taj outer wall, for the first time in 45 years
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After a gap of 45 years, Yamuna river water has reached the outer walls of the Taj Mahal complex in Agra, flooding the garden behind the 17th-century white marble mausoleum. The last time this happened was in 1978.
Officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which looks after the UNESCO World Heritage Site, however, said that it was unlikely that the flood water will enter the monument.
“It is unlikely that the floodwater will enter the monument. The ingenious design of the structure rules out such threats. Water cannot enter the main mausoleum even during high floods. The last time Yamuna floodwater touched the outer walls of the Taj complex was way back in 1978,” said Raj Kumar Patel, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI (Agra).
Risen levels of Yamuna Water at Dussehra Ghat behind the Taj Mahal, Agra. (PTI Photo)
The floodwater suddenly reached the outer walls of the complex on Monday night after thousands of cusecs of water were released from Okhla and Gokul barrages in Mathura, officials said, adding around 350 bighas of standing crops have got submerged in Agra alone.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have also reached Agra to start rescue and operations.
“At present, the Yamuna is flowing at a level of 498 feet in Agra. The low flood level is 495 feet and the medium level is 499 feet. Flood water may cross 500 feet in the coming days,” said a government official.
Swollen Yamuna River as seen from Mehtab Bagh, Agra. (PTI Photo)
“Although there is no threat to the Taj Mahal, the low-lying areas in the vicinity of the structure may get flooded,” said the official.
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Floodwater has also reached the Dussehra riverbank and the Mehtab Bagh in Agra and there are apprehensions that around 40 nearby villages may soon get flooded. Lohia Nagar, Tanishq, Rajshree, and Dayalbagh localities in Agra city have also got flooded.
Water has also entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Kailash Mahadev temple in the Sikandra locality of Agra.
Increasing levels of Yamuna water as seen from Taj Mahal, Agra. (PTI Photo)
“We do not see any respite from the flood at least for one week and that is why we have decided to postpone the Sawan Mela, which was scheduled to be held on July 24. The fair will now be held on August 21,” said Gaurav Giri, the Mahant of the Kailash Mahadev temple.
The rise in the water level of Yamuna follows incessant rainfall in the hill states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which has increased the water level in many Himalayan-origin rivers. Last week, the water level in Yamuna in Delhi touched 208 metres, breaking a 45-year-old record, and flooded parts of the National Capital. In Delhi, the Yamuna touched the outer wall of the Red Fort, the Lal Quila, which like the Taj Mahal, was also built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century.
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