Desilting Yamuna may affect stability of Taj Mahal: IIT experts in report to SC

Removing silt, sludge and garbage from the Yamuna in Agra will impact the stability of the Taj Mahal, bridges, structures and other important monuments in its vicinity, and also the flow of water in the river, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, told the Supreme Court in a report submitted a week ago.
The report came in response to an application filed before the top court by Agra Development Foundation, which stressed the need for desilting the Yamuna riverbed across a stretch of 20-22 km in Agra. The application was part of a petition filed by MC Mehta to protect the Taj Mahal, pending in the apex court since 1984.
The application said that the presence of large quantities of silt, sludge and garbage in the riverbed, almost 5-6 metres below, throws off millions of tourists due to the stink emanating from the river that flows along the northern boundary of the 17th Century structure. Besides, the sludge and garbage contaminate the soil with chemicals, which affects the foundational stability of the ancient monument.
The two-member team of IIT Roorkee, at the end of field inspections and site visits at Agra, concluded that removing silt, garbage and sludge from the riverbed is “not viable”.
“Since many religious places, such as the Kailash Mandir Ghat and important monuments such as the Taj Mahal, are located very near to the Yamuna riverbank, dredging of riverbed up to a depth of 5-6 metres will have detrimental effect on structural and foundational stability of these structures,” the IIT panel said.
The report is yet to be considered by the top court. On October 4, when the matter came up for hearing before a bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, the matter was adjourned to November 8.
Experts said the presence of garbage and sludge on the riverbed is primarily due to the discharge of untreated wastewater from different parts of the city. The application had pointed out that nearly 90 surface drains flow into the Yamuna river and many of them have untreated and untapped waste, including solid waste, sludge, polythene and plastic, which have deposited on the riverbed over the years, increasing the riverbed’s height, reducing the ability of the river to hold water, and creating a stench along the stretch of the river.
“The removal of silt, sludge and garbage…will significantly affect the flow regime and morphology of river, not only in this stretch (of 20-22 km) but also on both upstream and downstream of this stretch,” the report said.
It explained that desilting will lower the riverbed level by 5-6 metres, increase the velocity of the river and erode the riverbank on the upstream side. In contrast, there will be a considerable deposit on the riverbed downstream.
Comparing dredging or desilting to sand mining, the experts said that it will impact the bridges situated on the river – serving as a crucial rail and road link to Delhi – exposing the foundations of the piers and abutments of the bridges, endangering the safety of the bridges, thus impacting the transport network of Agra city.
The UP government had requested IIT Roorkee to undertake the study following the top court’s order on July 11 while considering the application.
“If IIT Roorkee is of the view that it is advisable to do the said work, the manner and mode of doing the said work shall be specified,” the court had said.
Earlier, the UP government responded to the application by denying any possibility of removing the sludge and garbage from the riverbed. The application raised several pressing concerns, and the court noted that the state’s stand was not supported by any technical or scientific reasoning.
The application was argued by advocate Kishan Chand Jain, who pointed out that Yamuna was prone to floods due to repeated failure by authorities to carry out desilting and restoring the natural status of the riverbed.
Last year, the water from the river had reached the boundary wall of the Taj Mahal for the first time in 45 years. The groundwater table in Agra is receding gradually every year, with more and more residents drawing groundwater for drinking and agricultural purposes. This led to several diseases due to the heavy presence of metals in water, Jain said.
The damage caused by the polluted river to the landmark structure, considered one among the world’s Seven Wonders, was more worrying. The presence of chemicals and other pollutants in the river was gradually making its way to the foundation of the Taj Mahal, causing damage to the sal wood foundation of the structure. The petition furnished news reports pointing to the discolouration of the marble walls caused by insects found near the river.
The increased deposits of sludge and garbage has led to a decreased riverbed height. Data available from the Central Water Commission shows that the riverbed level pre-monsoon and post-monsoon have reduced about 2-2.5 metres from 1978 to 2023.
Each year, millions of tourist flock to Agra for a glimpse of the Taj Mahal built by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan. The application before the court sought urgent action on the desilting, considering the huge impact it had on India’s image globally and on the tourism prospects of Agra city and the country.