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Tourist footfall decreases at Taj as Agra continues to sizzle
Agra, City of Taj, swelters at 46.5 degrees Celsius as intense heat wave hits. Tourism at Taj Mahal impacted, with visitors falling ill due to heat.
City of Taj reels under intense heat wave with Agra recording 46.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday, a day after it recorded the maximum temperature at 46.9 degrees Celsius across the country.
The city roads were lifeless with temperature rising as day proceeded.
“The rising temperature has impacted tourism and Taj Mahal is having half the usual number of visitors these days. ‘There used to be on average 25,000 to 30,000 tourism in a day when weather was fine but with onset of summers, the number has gone down to 12,000 to 15,000 in a day with number rising to 20,000 sometimes on weekend,” said Prince Vajpayee, the senior conservation assistant of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
“The strong heat wave has been having its impact on tourists coming to Taj Mahal and a special team of ASI working as ‘May I Help You’ unit has come to the rescue of tourists falling ill on Taj Mahal premises,” he said.
“About a hundred tourists have been provided timely assistance on deterioration of their health because of heat in past one month. The exhausted tourists complain of nausea, giddiness, blood pressure and were provided first aid at dispensary run by health department of Agra on Taj Mahal premises,” said Vajpayee.
Vajpayee claimed that there are eight water coolers on Taj Mahal premises-- two each being at entry gates, two each at CISF run frisking centre besides those near entrance gate, red sandstone platform and main mausoleum.
However, Contrary to this, the tourists at Taj claimed that water coolers are not that efficient and at places not in working condition.
“This is peak of dull season for tourism and most of the rooms are unoccupied these days. Heat wave is the reason keeping away tourists. Weather is not expected to improve in near future, but intensity might vary and with schools shutting down for summer vacations, some increase in tourist inflow is expected in June month,” said Devki Nandan Sone, owner of a hotel about 700-metres east of Taj Mahal gate.
Meanwhile, the health department has issued an advisory which urges denizens to stay indoors till the heat wave is on. Chief medical officer Dr AK Srivastava claimed that Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have been constituted. “Community health centre (CHC) and primary health centre (PHC) have been asked to remain updated,” said CMO Agra.
“Drink more water, wear light clothes, avoid moving out if not necessary between 1 pm to 4 PM, consume liquid including lemon, lassi,” said Dr Srivastava.
