The Taj Mahal in Agra witnessed an unprecedented event as the Yamuna river surged, touching its walls and submerging a nearby garden for the first time in 45 years. With the river’s water level reaching 497.9 feet, surpassing the ‘low-flood level’ of 495 ft, the situation has raised concerns.
The adjacent Dussehra Ghat has been flooded due to the significant rise in the river caused by continuous rainfall. In addition, water has entered parts of Itimad-ud-Daula’s tomb. While fears remain about the safety of other monuments such as Rambagh, Mehtab Bagh, Zohra Bagh, Kala Gumbad, and Chini ka Rauza, officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have reassured that these structures have not been damaged thus far. They also confirmed that the floodwaters had not reached the basement of the Taj Mahal.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has stated that the design of the Taj Mahal includes measures to prevent flooding of the main monument. As the flooded Yamuna River reached the walls of the Taj Mahal, ASI officials confirmed that the structure was specifically developed to ensure water does not enter the main mausoleum even during high floods.
Prince Vajpayee, a conservation assistant at ASI at the Taj Mahal, explained that the garden behind the Taj Mahal was created when the water level in the Yamuna receded, resulting in a vacant area. The last instance of the Yamuna touching the back wall of the Taj Mahal occurred during the 1978 high floods when the water level reached 508 ft, marked as the high-flood level of the river in Agra. During that time, water had entered the basement of the monument through wooden doors, leaving behind silt. Subsequently, ASI removed the wooden doors and erected walls at the entrance from Basai and Dussehra ghats to prevent such incidents.
Rescue operations conducted by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), police, and local administration have been underway to aid stranded individuals in the flooded low-lying areas of Agra and Mathura. Approximately 500 people residing in 50 villages and 20 urban localities near the Yamuna River have been relocated to safer zones. In Mathura district, the water level in the Yamuna river has risen to 167.28 meters, exceeding the danger mark of 166 meters.
