India's most famous monument, the white marble Taj Mahal, is "dying," according to historians and local guides who are calling for the government to protect and carry out preservation work on the palace. 

They're blaming one main culprit: Pollution. 

Pollution in Agra, where the monument stands, has jumped sharply over the past 30 years.

The city sits on an industrial belt and is ranked eighth in the world for air pollution.

Local guides say that's damaging the beauty of the Taj, and turning the white marble of the wall into a murky yellow.

While the monument's beauty is a big concern, the effect is creating another problem. 

Because Taj is dying, tourism is getting less day by day.  

According to experts, one of the main causes of pollution is that the Yamuna river is drying up.

Mixing sewage in the water has led to large numbers of insects, and the waste they produce is staining the Taj Mahal walls.

Fumes from clogged city roads aren't helping either. 

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