The 17th century white marble mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, has become sick and pale. The India's tourism icon and a symbol of earthly love has fallen victim to both nature and man. Yamuna that once formed an integral part of the Taj Mahal complex has become dry and heavily polluted.

The monument of love is covered with yellowish sand coming from the neighboring Rajasthan desert. Visitors can say without any doubt that the summer heat has caused damages to the beauty of the Taj Mahal. Sand from the dry Yamuna bed and the dust-laden winds from the Rajasthan desert have to be blamed the most for worsening condition of Taj Mahal.

Levels of SPM (suspended particulate matter) in Agra have been increased by the gaps left by illegal mining in the Aravali ranges. The standard level of SPM is 100 microns per cubic meter, but in has gone as high as 300 in Agra. During summers, the level goes even higher and touches 500.

Sandy particles actually chafe the monument and pock mark are left as a result, making the surface rough. It has, however, been revealed by conservationists that the crisis the Taj is facing is attributable not only to nature and pollution, but to people themselves too. The pollution caused by vehicles in the city has significantly increased. Around 40,000 vehicles were there in the city in 1985, but now the number of vehicles has gone up to more than a million.

The vehicular traffic was increased heavily after the opening of the Yamuna Expressway. "When thousands of tourists invade the serene monument every day, leaving behind hand and foot marks on the white stones and tons of noxious gases through breathing, the cumulative effect on the fragile structure is huge", said Rajeev Tiwari, president of the Tourism and Travel Agents Association.