He said: "I have written to the ASI to close the Taj Mahal and other monuments for three to four hours in the afternoon. Since the number of tourists has already dwindled, it will make no difference if the monuments opened at 4 p.m."
He also said the ASI could provide shelters and air-conditioned tents inside the monuments to allow the tourists to spend a few minutes in case of emergencies.
To add to the citizens' woes, the Agra Water Works has sounded an alert and expressed its helplessness to continue water supply as the Yamuna River has reduced to a trickle.
The bazaars in the city wear a deserted look during the day.
"It's only in the evenings that one sees some activity. Otherwise no one wants to be left on the streets in the afternoon, except the unlucky ones," said Vimla Gupta, a homemaker of Vijay Nagar Colony.
