THE TAJ STUCK IN THE MUDDLE

A game of blind men around an elephant plays out for 40 long years while experts and policymakers grope for an answer to what really ails the Taj

A REFINERY IN THE WRONG PLACE…

1973 Just 40 km from the Taj and up-wind of Agra, Indira Gandhi lays the foundation of the six million tonne Mathura oil refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation with Soviet help; assures Parliament that refinery to start only after protection of monuments 1974 S. Varadarajan expert committee appointed by the ministry of petroleum and chemicals to check environmental hazards 1976-77 Pollution from refinery will be within safe levels; decay in marble and sandstone already exists; hold reports by Italian firm Techneco and the Indian Meteorological Department