CityLab Daily: Why Heavy Rain May Actually Be Good for the Taj Mahal
Also today: Paris housing prices drop to their lowest levels in four years, and NYC fliers tell migrants to go somewhere else.
A security officer patrols the Taj Mahal during a heavy rainfall in Agra on July 4, 2023.
Photographer: Pawan Sharma/AFP via Getty Images
Heavy rain in New Delhi caused part of the Taj Mahal to flood on Tuesday as rising water from the Yamuna river reached the compound walls. But while extreme weather is typically a threat to cultural sites across the globe, the city’s latest monsoon season may turn out to have a positive effect on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The heightened water level will likely raise the moisture content of the structure’s wooden foundation, increasing its life span, according to the Archaeological Survey of India. In fact, a drying Yamuna river has previously been a concern for the Taj Mahal, as a lack of moisture shrank the supporting rafters at its base, Sreeja Biswas reports. Today on CityLab: Heavy Rains Threatening New Delhi May Actually Be Helping the Taj Mahal