Due to extreme monsoon rains, the Yamuna river has risen the closest to India’s most popular tourist site since 1978.
Rising water from the Yamuna river reached the outer boundary walls of the iconic Taj Mahal on Wednesday.
The water also submerged one of its adjacent gardens after record monsoon rains swelled rivers across northern India over the last three weeks.
The flooding at the India’s most popular tourist site came as heavy floods had killed at least 100 people in parts of north India, swept away houses and bridges and resulted in deadly landslides.
Will the flooding damage the Taj Mahal?
On Wednesday, the red sandstone boundary walls of the Taj Mahal were surrounded by brown, muddy water. This didn’t put off tourists however, as flocks continued to explore the historical monument left untouched by the river.
Prince Vajpayee, conservation assistant at the Taj Mahal, told the Press Trust of India news agency that the monument is built on a raised structure and the flood water did not pose any threat to it at the moment.
Local residents and officials said the river last touched the boundary walls of the monument in 2010.
This time water levels have surpassed 150 metres, an occurrence last seen in 1978. Forty five years ago the flood water seeped into the monument’s basement, but a recurrence of that event is unlikely this time, officials said.
Water from the overflowing Yamuna did flood some low-lying houses near the monument though, prompting officials to move residents to safer places.
Watch the video above to see the flooding at the Taj Mahal.
