Times
of India: Agra: Wednesday, 30 September 2015.
An RTI query
filed by TOI has revealed that it will take nine long years for the
Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) science branch to complete the mudpack
therapy on the outer marble surface of the Taj Mahal to remove yellowness
caused due to air pollution.
Following a
news report published in TOI, the Parliament Standing Committee (PSC) on
Environment in April had directed ASI to submit an interim action plan for
restoration of the Taj. The RTI query to know the status of the plan further
revealed that the chemical cleaning (mud pack therapy) will have to be repeated
every 6-7 years if pollution is not reduced.
During the
meeting of PSC with senior ASI officials, it was accepted that air pollutants,
especially suspended particulate matter (SPM), after reacting with marble is
masking the original colour and sheen of the monument.
The RTI reply
sent by ASI's Dehradun office stated that clay pack method is being used
presently to remove harmful surface deposits from the marble surface and to
maintain the aesthetic beauty of the Taj Mahal. This method is considered safe
as it involves minimal use of chemicals and almost no mechanical efforts, it
added.
A senior ASI
official said that it would be for the first time that the mud pack therapy of
four minarets and dome would be carried out. It will take at least one year to
clean the main dome of the Taj Mahal, which will be covered in the fifth phase
of the exercise. Likewise, 10 months each would be required for cleaning of
four minarets around the mausoleum. An additional 12 months has been allotted
for dealing with unforeseen suspension of work during rainy season and summers.
The cleaning
of Taj interiors has not been included in the action plan, as erection of
scaffolding and control of tourists' movement would be major constraints.
The RTI reply
added that scientific studies and research would be continued for the effective
monitoring of the conservation efforts. This will also help modify the existing
treatment methodology or to develop better formulation and advanced
conservation methods, it said.
For cleaning
of interiors, the reply said, it may not be possible to achieve the desired
results of cleaning using the same clay pack method. Continuous touching of
walls by visitors leave palm grease and oily accretions on the surface.
The reply
suggested that a barrier could be put to stop people from touching the walls.
The PSC
during its visit to the Taj on April 11 had raised a question mark on the
restoration work being done by the archaeological body. The team headed by
Rajya Sabha MP Ashwani Kumar had found black spots on four minarets, forcing
them to order the ASI to seek international expertise and to immediately remove
these blemishes.
Prior to
this, an Indo-US study on the Taj had revealed that brown and black carbons
along with dust are responsible for the yellow tinge on the monument.
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