Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

India's top court slams Centre for 'lethargy' in protecting Taj Mahal 

India's top court has slammed the Centre for not coming with with concrete plans to protect the Taj Mahal, a historic medieval structure designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

"Either we will shut down the Taj or you demolish or restore it," the Supreme Court said, and asked the Centre to detail the steps taken to protect the iconic monument.


The Centre, in response, said the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur was assessing air pollution level in and around the mausoleum and its report will be ready within four months. A special committee has also been set up to find the source of pollution in and around the structure.

The Taj Mahal draws thousands of tourists from India and abroad each year. According to the Supreme Court, the Taj is "more beautiful than the Eiffel Tower" and could have solved the country's foreign exchange problem. Likening the Eiffel Tower to a "TV tower" the judges noted: "Eighty million go to watch Eiffel Tower which looks like a TV Tower. Our Taj is more beautiful. If you had looked after it your foreign exchange problem would have been solved," said the judges.

The Taj Mahal has been turning green due to increasing pollution levels and several times over the past few decades, the palace’s white marble has been coated in a mud pack in an attempt to clean it.

However, there has not been much improvement.

Manoj Bhatnagar of the Archaeological Survey of India’s chemical department told the BBC in 2016 that the mud pack is based on a traditional recipe used by Indian women in their beauty regime.

“A layer of fullers earth – a type of lime-rich clay – mixed with water is applied over the walls and left on for 24 hours or more to dry,” he said. “Once it dries, the mud is removed and the surface is washed with distilled water to remove impurities.”

The Taj Mahal’s most recent mud pack treatment started in January 2018.

Pollution is not the only cause for the 17th century monument’s destruction. The Taj Mahal sits on the banks of the heavily contaminated Yamuna, which is a breeding ground for insects that leave green marks on its marble domes.

“Fifty-two drains are pouring waste directly into the river and just behind the monument, Yamuna has become so stagnant that fish that earlier kept insect populations in check are dying. This allows pests to proliferate in the river,” environmental activist DK Joshi was quoted as saying by BBC.

Although these green patches are washable, frequent scrubbing removes the sheen off the marble.

More For You

Knife crimes

Knife-enabled crimes include cases where a blade or sharp instrument was used to injure or threaten, including where the weapon was not actually seen.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Knife crime in London accounts for a third of national total: ONS

KNIFE-RELATED crime in London made up almost a third of all such offences recorded in England and Wales in 2024, with the Metropolitan Police logging 16,789 incidents, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.

This amounts to one offence every 30 minutes in the capital and represents 31 per cent of the 54,587 knife-enabled crimes reported across England and Wales last year. The total number marks a two per cent rise from 53,413 offences in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Modi

Starmer and Modi shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the sidelines of the G20 summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Brazil, on November 18, 2024.

Getty Images

Starmer calls Modi over Kashmir attack; expresses condolences

PRIME MINISER Keir Starmer spoke to Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning following the deadly attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that killed 26 people on Tuesday.

According to a readout from 10 Downing Street, Starmer said he was horrified by the devastating terrorist attack and expressed deep condolences on behalf of the British people to those affected, their loved ones, and the people of India. The two leaders agreed to stay in touch.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Post Office Horizon

A Post Office van parked outside the venue for the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry at Aldwych House on January 11, 2024 in London, England. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Post Office spent £600m to keep Horizon despite plans to replace it: Report

THE POST OFFICE has spent more than £600 million of public funds to continue using the Horizon IT system, according to a news report.

Despite deciding over a decade ago to move away from the software, the original 1999 contract with Fujitsu prevented the Post Office from doing so, as it did not own the core software code, a BBC investigation shows.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

The prayer meet was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami

Pahalgam attack: Prayer meet held at Indian mission in London

Mahesh Liloriya

A PRAYER meet was held at the Gandhi Hall in the High Commission of India in London on Thursday (24) to pay respects to the victims of the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ rang out at the event which was led by Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK  mini heatwave

Sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth

Getty

UK to see mini heatwave as temperatures climb towards 24 °c

The UK is set for a period of warmer weather in the coming days, with temperatures expected to rise significantly across parts of the country. According to the Met Office, a spell of dry and sunny conditions will bring early summer warmth, although it will fall short of the threshold for an official heatwave.

Temperatures in south-eastern and central England could reach 23°c to 24°c by Tuesday, around 10C above the seasonal average for some areas. The Met Office described this as a “very warm spell” rather than a heatwave, though the contrast with recent cooler weather will be noticeable.

Keep ReadingShow less