A pillar of the entry gate to the world famous Taj Mahal monument collapsed early on Thursday morning after heavy rain and strong winds lashed parts of the city. As per a report by news agency ANI, the pillar which was broken was located on the southern entry gate of the monument.
There have been no reports of casualties in the incident. The incident comes at a time when several steps are being taken to preserve the monument from damage. Recently, authorities had ordered that entry to the Taj Mahal will be restricted to only three hours to reduce the "human load" on the fragile 17th-century monument of love which has started showing signs of fatigue and ageing.
In another rain-related incident in Uttar Pradesh, three children died in Mathura after a tin roof of their one-room house collapsed. The incident took place on Wednesday when their parents, who happen to be daily wage labourers were not at home.
Rains have been reported in many areas of Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow, Kanpur, Mathura, Kannauj, Farukkhabad, Etawah and Mainpuri. While the sudden change of weather has brought down the mercury, farmers are unhappy as a major part of the wheat crop is lying in the fields.
Several crops have been destroyed in in Nandgaon, Vrindavan, Kosi Kalan areas of Mathura district.
The potato harvest, which is already hit by poor marketing and bad pricing, is also set to take a beating by the rain.
According to the Regional Met Office, the weather will remain "by and large the same in the next 24-hours". The weatherman added that there is a low-pressure depression in some parts of the state which is leading to the rains. Some areas are also likely to be hit by a dust storm.
Power outages have also been reported owing to the strong winds blowing across many areas.