India’s Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Agra district is turning green.
Experts and officials with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said the green stains on the embossed stonework and floral designs on the wall are a result of an insect’s poop. ASI officials maintain that green stains are not new and is, perhaps, an annual affair since 2015. However, the staining in October, the winter month, is unique, unlike the previous instances witnessed in May or June. Moreover, it re-appeared in November after thorough cleaning, which makes it a rare phenomenon.
“Greening of the Taj Mahal is a recurring phenomenon. However, this year, it occurred in October, which is strange. Another strange thing is despite the remedial measures, the greening took place again in November, which is worrisome,” said Raj Kumar Patel, superintending archaeologist, Agra Circle, ASI.
THE PHENOMENON
Officials with the ASI and experts said the greening, especially on the walls facing river Yamuna, is an outcome of the poop of an insect named Goeldichironomus, which leaves a green effect on the white marble.
“Initially, the cleaning was carried out by the ASI’s chemical branch. However, we are now looking forward to combating the insect menace, which is spoiling the beauty of the Taj,” said Patel.
While ASI officials want to save the majestic monument from greening, experts are worried that frequent occurrences may spoil the white colour.
INSECT FEEDS ON ALGAE IN YAMUNA
The greening of Taj Mahal was first studied in 2016 by Dr Girish Maheshwari, head of the School of Entomology at St John’s College, Agra. “The larva of Goeldichironomus feeds on the algae in the river, prior to transforming into an adult. The insects are attracted to the white marble of the Taj Mahal and when they sit and excrete on its wall, it leaves a green stain on the marble owing to the presence of chlorophyll in their bodies,” states the report, which calls these insects a bio-indicator of water quality.
Dr Maheshwari’s report states that the increased population is an outcome of the rising pollution of the river. “The high concentration of phosphorus (due to pollution) and sediments of the river enhance the reproductivity of the female insect, which can lay more than 1,000 eggs at a time,” Maheshwari’s report further states.
In his report, he said that Goeldichironomus has also caused damage to other heritage structures, including Monroe Lake in Florida (USA), where the US Government had to spend millions of US dollars to control the insect. It has caused a similar damage to Lake Suwa in Japan.
Maheshwari had submitted his report to ASI in 2016.
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