As incessant rains battered India's north, the waters of the Yamuna River swelled and subsequently touched the walls of the renowned Taj Mahal, located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, on Tuesday after 45 years.
According to officials, the river had surged to 497.9 feet, yet the low-level flood mark is 495 feet. Steadily on the rise, the floodwaters found their way to the outer section of the mausoleum.
Meanwhile, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) clarified that the iconic monument did not suffer any damage so far, and the floodwaters had not penetrated the basement of the Taj Mahal.
“The Taj Mahal was built in a manner that safeguards the main mausoleum from water intrusion, even during severe floods. The last time the Yamuna River touched the rear wall of the Taj Mahal was during the floods of 1978,” Prince Vajpayee, a conservation assistant at the ASI, told reporters.
Meanwhile, rescue operations have been launched in Agra's low-lying areas to save stranded individuals in the flood-hit areas. The continuous downpour over the last few days has inundated the Dussehra Ghat area, adjacent to the Taj Mahal.
Water also entered the outer parts of Itimad-ud-Daula's tomb, another prominent site in the city.
The ASI has also raised alarm about the city's other monuments like Rambagh, Mehtab Bagh, Zohra Bagh, Kala Gumbad and Chini ka Rauza; all of these structures were built during the Mughal era.