Agra: As various states in North India are battling intense cold wave, a thick layer of smog engulfed Agra and its iconic monument Taj Mahal on Wednesday. The 17th-century mausoleum, that attracts millions of tourists from across the world, was barely visible under the thick layer of smog, videos posted online showed.
However, it was not the first time that the Taj Mahal has disappeared under a blanket of smog. In 2021, visuals of the smog engulfing the Taj Mahal went viral on social media platforms.
The development comes as Uttar Pradesh is experiencing a severe cold wave. Temperatures have dropped in the city due to icy winds from the mountains. Apart from this, fog has brought down visibility near zero in several regions.
It should be noted that dense fog engulfed many districts of Uttar Pradesh. With the arrival of the winter, tourists come from far and wide come to see the Taj Mahal every year. And the visitors who reached Mehtab Bagh this morning could not see the Taj Mahal.
In the meantime, Delhi woke up to a blanket of dense fog on Wednesday, as a cold wave swept across the city, bringing a sharp drop in temperatures along with chilly winds, resulting in reduced visibility.
The minimum temperature is expected to plunge to 8 degrees Celsius for the day whilst the maximum temperature is anticipated to remain at 16 degrees Celsius, along with "very dense fog," as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
This chilling weather has led the homeless people to take refuge in night shelters built in different parts of the city.
Visuals from the Sarai Kale Khan area, Ram Leela Maidan area and Nigam Bodh Ghat area showed a significant number of people taking refuge at night homes with all their beds occupied.
The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has also set up 235 pagoda tents to provide shelter to homeless people. Night shelters have been set up in several areas of the national capital, including AIIMS, Lodhi Road, and Nizamuddin flyover.
