FIROZABAD, INDIA // Hanuman Prasad Garg doesn’t blame rising fuel prices or pressure from cheap knock-offs for the slow demise of the glass industry where Indian artisans have forged bangles for centuries. He blames the Taj Mahal.
The ancient glass quarter in Firozabad never recovered after authorities blamed smoke drifting from its furnaces for yellowing the Taj’s magnificent white marble, threatening the beauty of India’s number-one tourist attraction.
The artisans were banned from burning coal and forced to use costly gas to fuel their furnaces instead - and yet two decades on the Taj is still losing its lustre.
"Because of the Taj Mahal, the entire industry is suffering," said Mr Garg, president of a glass industry association in Firozabad, about 35 kilometres from the 360-year-old monument.
Inside the blazing-hot workshops dotting the district, the Taj is a sore point for many of the craftsmen toiling over thousand-degree furnaces to fashion the glittering bangles that sell for pennies across India.
Their industry dates back almost as far as the Mughal-era mausoleum itself.
But many factories have closed or downsized considerably as the price of natural gas has steadily climbed in recent years, throwing generations of glass artisans onto the scrap heap.
Now authorities are considering closing the historic district for good.
A fragile industry
Crouched over a flame in his tiny workshop, Zafar Ahmad skillfully carved a delicate bird from a searing hot blob of molten glass as he fretted about his family-run business.
"I have been making glass items since I was 10 years old. This is the only thing I know. My entire household is involved in this work," he said, using a naked flame to tease the glass into form.
"But still it is so difficult to survive. I can’t even afford sending my four children to decent schools. I can’t imagine what will happen to them if God forbid I am out of work," he added.
Artisans earn little more than 300 rupees (Dh17) per day, despite the extreme conditions.
Competition from cheaper plastic and metal bangles has also made it harder for those crafting glass by hand, a costlier and more time consuming process.
A supreme court ruling in 1999, giving Firozabad two years to retrofit their factories with gas instead of coal, has gradually eroded their razor-thin margins, pushing many to the wall.
Mr Garg said pollution had come down, but the phasing out of gas subsidies had seen input costs climb year on year.
"Ours is a labour-intensive industry and everyone suffers on account of this," he said.
Polishing talent
Despite the interventions, the Taj is still yellowing, prompting authorities to search for stricter rules on potential pollutants in the area.
Other coal-powered industries in districts closest to the mausoleum have also been shut down, while motor vehicles are not allowed within a 500 metre radius of it.
Mud packs have been applied periodically to draw the stain from the stone, but authorities have struggled to stop the discolouration.
A 2015 joint study by Indian and US researchers concluded smog from burning fossil fuels, dung and garbage in and around Agra city was tarnishing the marble.
The artisans of Firozabad feel their days are numbered, and face the very real threat of being turfed out of their homes and businesses for good.
The National Green Tribunal, India’s federal environment court, is considering shifting the entire industry elsewhere, and has ordered samples be taken from the furnaces of Firozabad to test for pollutants.
To offset the disruption, the government is trying to bring artisans like Mr Ahmad into the modern era, teaching them to sell their goods online and run stalls at state-run craft fairs in major centres.
Shahbaz Ali, chairman of the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation, said: "No one can take away their talent. They have rich traditional knowledge, we are just polishing it."
* Agence France-Presse
Business Insights
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
What is double taxation?
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- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: South Africa, field first
Pakistan (1st innings) 177: Sarfraz 56, Masood 44; Olivier 4-48
South Africa (1st innings) 123-2: Markram 78; Masood 1-4
Results
International 4, United States 1
Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods (US) beat Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann (International) 4 and 3.
Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im (International) beat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay (US) 2 up.
Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An (International) beat Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau (US) 2 and 1.
Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan (International) beat Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed (US) 1 up.
Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen (International) beat Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland (US) 4 and 3.
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Ipaf in numbers
Established: 2008
Prize money: $50,000 (Dh183,650) for winners and $10,000 for those on the shortlist.
Winning novels: 13
Shortlisted novels: 66
Longlisted novels: 111
Total number of novels submitted: 1,780
Novels translated internationally: 66
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.
The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?
My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.
The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.
So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.
