Write a letter in not more than 200 words to a national daily about the neglect of priceless historical monuments in and around your city

Write a letter in not more than 200 words to a national daily about the neglect of priceless historical monuments in and around your city and suggest ways and means to preserve them.

The Editor,

“The Hindustan Times

New Delhi.

Sir,

I have been living in Agra for the last thirty years and am rightly proud of the priceless historical monuments like the immortal Taj Mahal, Itmad-ud-daula Tomb, Akbar’s Fort and Sikandra, which adorn the city’s landscape.

However, I am deeply pained to see that for the last about twenty years these priceless historical monuments of our glorious past have fallen prey to neglect and improper maintenance. They are, therefore, fast losing their original charm and are getting dilapidated day by day. The enormous expansion of the city due to population explosion and with the establishment of thousands of small and medium-scale industries in their neighbourhood, almost all these structures are suffering great structural damage. The fumes from the Mathura Refinery have already caused incalculable damage to the pristine beauty of the Taj Mahal. I am afraid that if immediate steps are not taken to ensure the safety of these monuments they will soon turn into mounds of rubble.

In my opinion, two-pronged action, by way of removal of polluting industries from the area, and provision of more funds for the maintenance of these monuments is urgently called for.

I, therefore, request the authorities that be, through the columns of your esteemed daily to take immediate steps to safeguard these precious specimens of our cultural heritage.

July 6,

Yours etc.,

(X)