India’s proposal to cap the number of domestic tourists to the Taj Mahal at 40,000 per day is yet another desperate attempt by the local and federal administration to protect the 17th-century monument from the ravages of time and pollution. The efforts are also aimed at safeguarding the hordes of domestic and foreign tourists who throng the edifice daily — a stampede at the entry gates last week left five people injured. In its aftermath, the Archaeological Survey of India scrambled to put together the latest raft of proposals, including restricting visitors to three hours within the Mughal-era complex.
The concerns surrounding the Taj have grown in direct proportion to its footfall — about eight million visit the monument every year according to latest statistics. Rampant air pollution is turning the 400-year-old monument’s marble facade yellow. But successive governments have always been in a crisis mode in handling the Taj, only implementing ad hoc measures. In many cases, commercial exploitations have only been abandoned after severe warnings and penalties from top courts.
The cap on daily visitors is thus a commendable step but grossly inadequate. The Taj deserves a clear vision for the future and a comprehensive policy for its preservation. As hosts, the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh must work alongside federal agencies and archeologists and involve civil society and cultural experts to formulate a road map to protect it for the next several centuries.
