AGRA: Almost a year after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) decided to implement mud-pack therapy to remove yellowness from the main dome and four minarets of the Taj Mahal , the body is yet to receive reports from its civil department about the load bearing capacity of the mausoleum's main structure. ASI had earlier said that it needed to know the main dome's load bearing capacity as iron scaffolding was required to be tied around it. In the absence of reports, officials said the March 2018 deadline for completion of mud-pack therapy may not be met.In its action plan about conservation and preservation of the Taj, which was submitted to the Parliamentary standing committee on environment, the archaeological body had fixed March 2018 as the deadline for completion of the treatment. In the absence of scientific studies, work for the project is now likely to start in March 2018, informed officials.The therapy was slated to be carried out by the ASI's science branch which had sought a no objection certificate from its civil department. It had asked the department to get studies done by technical institutes such as the Indian Institute of Technology or Central Building Research Institute to find out the load bearing capacity of the main structure. Keeping in view the height of the dome and its special architectural features, the department had said that it will first conduct technical studies in association with specialized institutions before starting the actual work."We cannot take any risk with the monument. Scaffolding weighs in tonnes and carrying out the work without prior knowledge about the structure's load bearing capacity could be detrimental for the world heritage site," said an ASI official.When contacted, ASI superintending archaeologist Bhuvan Vikrama said the department's head office was looking into the science branch's request.The cleaning of the main dome was part of the conservation plan of the monument that was submitted to the Parliamentary standing committee on environment, which had raised serious objections over black and yellow spots on the marble surfaces, especially minarets.ASI officials had earlier also informed that conservation work on four minarets and facades was complete and task on the main mausoleum will be over in a few months' time.

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