Having survived more than three centuries, the Taj Mahal has been under constant threat in the recent times from the rampant pollution in the city of Agra.

The Yamuna river that flows behind it has turned into an open sewage whereas the oil refineries in the nearby city of Mathura cause acid rains that eat through the marble. The structure remains shrouded in thick smog for most of the day and the continuous accumulation of suspended-particulate matter (SMP) on its surface is changing the color from shimmering white to pale yellow day-by-day.

The authorities have recently banned all polluting vehicles within the five mile radius and have been cleaning the structure using mud-packs to bring it back to its original lustre but it has been a losing battle so far.

For a structure that has survived more than three centuries to deteriorate so rapidly over just a few decades speaks volumes about the challanges of air pollution that India is facing today. If that smog can do so much damage to stone and concrete, imagine its impact on fragile human bodies.