The Unconventional
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Matte Painting (Illustration) TAJ Mahal
POLLUTION THREAT TO TAJ MAHAL
The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the modern world and India’s greatest landmark, is in danger of being damaged by air and water pollution. Agra, where the Taj Mahal stands, has been polluted heavily by industries and traffic over the past decades. Illegal factories are springing up around the Taj Mahal and uncontrolled construction around the monument seems to be endless. Ground water levels are sinking because the population around Agra, a city of four million people, is growing and needs more and more water. The wooden foundations of the monument may collapse because they are becoming too dry.
The Yamuna River, which runs through Agra, is heavily polluted by industries around the capital Delhi, which is about hundred and fifty kilometers up the river.
At the end of the last century the government realized the growing problem and started a program to save the monument’s shiny white marble façade because it was turning yellow. Over $150 million were spent on restoration but it did not help much. Corrosion has continued and acid rain has also caused a change in the color of the façade. Some years ago restoration experts started putting mud packs around the façade to bring back the building’s shiny white color.
The government and city authorities have taken measures to protect India’s greatest sight. Pollution stations around Agra monitor air quality around the clock. Car traffic has been banned within two kilometers of the monument. Electric and battery driven cars and buses then take tourists to the site. A natural gas pipeline is also in discussion. Factories and industries around Agra should be persuaded to change to cleaner forms of energy.
Each year about 3 million tourists come to the Taj Mahal. The building was built by a Mogul emperor in the 17 th century. It took over 20,000 workers 17 years to finish it.
http://www.english-online.at/news-articles/environment/pollution-endangers-taj-mahal.htm
As the global population continues to grow at a steady pace, more and
more people are moving to cities every single day. Experts predict the
world’s urban population will double by 2050 – which means we’re adding
the equivalent of seven New Delhi Cities to the planet every single
year. Urban areas also contribute a higher share of GDP. In India, the
urban population is currently 31% of the total population and it
contributes over 60% of India’s GDP. It is projected that urban India
will contribute nearly 75% of the national GDP in the next 15 years.
Cities are accordingly referred to as the engines of economic growth.
There is accordingly a crying need for the cities to get smarter to
handle this large-scale urbanization and finding new ways to manage
complexity, increase efficiency, reduce expenses, and improve quality of
life.
A smart city uses digital technologies to enhance quality and performance of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption, and to engage more effectively and actively with its citizens. The key features of a Smart City is in the intersect between competitiveness, Capital and Sustainability. The smart cities should be able to provide good infrastructure such as water, sanitation, reliable utility services, health care; attract investments; transparent processes that make it easy to run a commercial activities; simple and on line processes for obtaining approvals, and various citizen centric services to make citizens feel safe and happy.
http://indiansmartcities.in/site/index.aspx | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_city
A smart city uses digital technologies to enhance quality and performance of urban services, to reduce costs and resource consumption, and to engage more effectively and actively with its citizens. The key features of a Smart City is in the intersect between competitiveness, Capital and Sustainability. The smart cities should be able to provide good infrastructure such as water, sanitation, reliable utility services, health care; attract investments; transparent processes that make it easy to run a commercial activities; simple and on line processes for obtaining approvals, and various citizen centric services to make citizens feel safe and happy.
http://indiansmartcities.in/site/index.aspx | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_city
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