Turning Green

India’s Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings on Earth. Tourists from around the world go to visit. But pollution × pollution DUKAI PHOTOGRAPHER/MOMENT something that spoils a place or makes it dirty or unsafe (noun) A cloud of pollution filled the sky over the city. is harming the white marble building. India’s government is scrambling to fix the problem.

“Earlier, it was turning yellow, and now it is becoming brown and green.” That’s what court justices in India said, according to the Times of India. “It is very serious.”

The Taj Mahal stands on the Yamuna River.

Action Plan

The Taj Mahal is nearly 400 years old. It was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a monument × monument RARRARORRO/GETTY IMAGES a building, statue, or other inanimate object that honors a person or an event (noun) In the middle of the park is a monument to Abraham Lincoln. to his wife. It sits on the polluted Yamuna River. The river attracts insects. They leave markings on the building. Air pollution is also harming the monument. India has some of the worst air pollution in the world.

Steps have been taken to preserve × preserve PURESTOCK/GETTY IMAGES to save; to keep something in its original condition (verb) Myeisha bought a special box to preserve her favorite stuffed animals. the Taj Mahal. Nearby factories have been closed. That improves air quality. And the Taj Mahal has gotten a serious cleaning.

But India’s Supreme Court is worried about the building’s future. Lawmakers have called for plans to protect the Taj Mahal. Those plans are due on November 15.

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