The last few days of Agra are no less than turmoil. The heavy rains have left the city in havoc, damaging ancient monuments and disrupting locals. The city is facing water-logging issues, the collapse of local infrastructure roofs, and the sweeping of water inside the residences. Not only this, but a 500-year-old Lodi-Era Mosque also collapsed due to the heavy rains.

The city witnessed 151 mm of rain on September 12, the maximum rainfall, in 24 hours over the last 80 years. As a result, the Agra Governance declared the closure of all schools in the city.

Damage to 500-Year-Old Mosque

Following the continuous rain for three days in Agra, a historic 500-year-old mosque from the Lodi era of the Sikandra area collapsed on Saturday. As per local officials, two of the mosque’s three domes had collapsed by Sunday, leaving the third dome in a threatening position.

The mosque was originally erected on an 8-foot-high foundation using Kakaiya bricks, which are flat, thin, red burnt clay bricks and lime.

The Tourist Guides’ Federation of India, Shakeel Chauhan, national general secretary stated, “It was an integral part of Agra’s heritage. We’ll push the Central government to try to rebuild the structure or at least preserve the site.”

Damage to Other Sites and Infrastructure

Taj Mahal,

Taj Mahal, India’s heritage also came in the target of the rains, causing water to leak inside the monument. In response to the leakage, an investigation was initiated. But no damage seen on the main dome, even though the garden is next to the Taj Mahal is flooding.

According to a senior official from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Agra Circle, the main dome is experiencing leakage, due to seepage, although there isn’t any structural damage. A prior official has noticed wetness on the main dome and doubted a hairline crack. Following the water leakage reports, the ASI placed its staff under intensified surveillance.

Schools Roof Collapsed

In yet another alarming incident, the roofs and walls of two schools—Sagir Fatima and Shobia Inter College in Nai ki Mandi, collapsed during the heavy downpour. Fortunately, no casualties were reported as the incident happened late at night.

Other Damage

A sewer wall collapsed in the Katra Jogidas colony, just 500 meters away from the Taj Mahal. The collapse has led to heavy flooding, submerging cars, and causing damage to homes. Amit Singh, a resident stated, “The heavy rain has also caused cracks in several buildings and led to widespread waterlogging in areas such as Teedi Bagiya 100 Ft Road.”

The municipal commissioner of Agra, Aniki Khandelwal declared, “We are deploying motor pumps to extract water from the flooded areas and have mobilized many teams for this task. Thankfully, there haven’t been any deaths reported from the rain.