As you fly into Delhi from Mumbai, one landmark that stands out amidst the countryside is the Bahai Lotus temple. The architectural marvel has enthralled millions of visitor to the capital. But today, a cloud of smog hangs threateningly over it like the proverbial sword of Damocles.
Like the Taj Mahal in Agra, this white marble structure is also threatened by pollution. It has greyed considerably since it was completed in 1986, and its managers fear for its future in a city considered one of the most polluted in the world. The Lotus temple attracts nearly 4 lakh visitors every month. In a few years from now, the entire temple may look grey. The marble absorbs chemicals in the air, and a film coating gets formed. Every year, the percentage of marble greying is increasing. Washing the marble covering with a mild detergent three-four times a year is not of much help, says Zena Sorabjee, chairperson of the Bahai Temple Management Committee.
Alarmed by the increasing effects of pollution, NGOs like Intach and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have offered to help out. The WWF intends to help monitor the pollution levels throughout the year by distributing kits to schoolchildren.
But there is a gnawing apprehension that such efforts may not be of great help, given the increasing levels of pollution in the Capital, particularly around the Lotus temple. Temple managers point out that the number of sources of pollution in the temples vicinity significantly outnumber those around the Taj. They have identified four major sources of pollution affecting the structure:
There are 168 industrial units in the temples vicinity. The courts have ordered their closure, but implementation is tardy.
Slums have come up just next to the temple, badly littering the approach road on both sides.
The large-scale burning of rubber and plastics by the slum inhabitants during winter adds to the problem. Educating the slum dwellers and constructing lavatories are some of the steps being considered to resolve the problem.
Intense railway activity along the Okhla tracks near the temple and
Daily emissions of gas and fly ash by the Badarpur power plant. The plant management installed precipitators to reduce the toxicity and fly-ash emissions, but matters have not improved much for the temple structure.
All visitors to the temple are requested to maintain silence within the main hall. Unless urgent measures are taken, that silence may soon become one of mourning for a once-beautiful structure.
