"If you look at the old photographs and original drawings you will find the river full and flowing close to the foundation. The surroundings were lush green. The backdrop was picturesque.The river water had the capacity to absorb any amount of pollution in the air. What now?" laments the ageing historian.

Braj Rakshak Dal, an organisation campaigning for restoration of the original glory and lush green forests in Sri Krishna's Leela Bhoomi, has drawn attention to continued illegal mining on the Rajasthan borders, 40 kms from Agra. The stone mafia despite ban on mining in the Aravalis, as also in areas bordering Fatehpur Sikri continues its operations clandestinely. The gaps in the Aravalis right from Delhi's Dhaula Kuan area to North Gujrat, have allowed hot dust laden winds to assault the Agra region.

"This is a serious ecological problem which needs urgent attention," says Vineet Narain of the Braj Foundation. According to Dr Manju Mehta "there is mention of 137 groves associated with the pastimes of Radha and Krishna in Braj. Only three have survived the onslaught of human negligence.

Says Vineet Narain "The heritage hills of Braj like Goverdhan where Krishna grazed his cows and performed innumerable leelas are being rapidly destroyed. The forest cover has disappeared, wild life has vanished and these heritage hills are now being reduced to dust by the large-scale mining operations."

The mining for stones has left gaping holes for dusty winds to hit monuments like the Taj Mahal working as sand paper to roughen the surface of the fragile white monument. "Citizens of the area must be mobilised and sensitised to the new dangers. Our heritage, the river, the forests and our very existence is in danger," says Father John Farreira, an educationist.