video transcript

The magnificent Taj Mahal may not be standing on solid ground. The Archaelogical Survey of India filed an affidavit saying that the southwest minaret has tilted by 3.57 centimetres in the last three decades. The Taj Mahal was built on a bend of the Yamuna River in Agra. Now, the river is drying up. An environmental studies professor from Agra University, K.S. Rana, says the shortage of water exposes the monument to pressure, hence the tilt. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) K. S. RANA, PROFESSOR OF ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT OF AGRA UNIVERSITY, SAYING: "When there is shortage of water in the river, it is natural that there will be pressure on the Taj Mahal. Due to pressure, cracks or tilts will appear in the building. The four minarets have been raised at the four corners to balance the weight of the building so that it could hang." The monument's foundations made of teak are also becoming brittle and rotten, with hardly any water to keep it moist. The Archaeological Survey says there's been no significant change in the overall height of the minarets. Still there is fear that India's iconic Mughal monument, built as a memorial of love, is at the mercy of the decay in its surroundings. Michaela Cabrera, Reuters.