NEW DELHI: In days gone by, monuments built by kings and emperors stood in silent solitude, without any annoying neighbouring buildings to blot their beauty. As the centuries crept by, the populace grew; and so did buildings. Today, hundreds of such grand monuments lie in melamcholy, boxed down by encroachments. Across India are 321 historical monuments of national importance that have been encroached upon. In a sad state of affairs, the government has been able to remove encroachments only in seven cases in the last three years.
India is home to over 3,650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites which are maintained and preserved through various circles of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Any construction within the periphery of 200 meters of a protected monument is considered an encroachment. Officials of the ASI, the custodian of historical monuments in the country, said that removal of encroachments is a tardy process as it has to be done under rules.
A senior official said that over a period of time, people have started staying in and around many monuments and busy markets, and even cities have developed around them. In Delhi, many monuments lie inside Old Delhi and Hauz Khas. Monuments in other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, are also situated in the middle of the cities.
“At many places there are encroachments in the close vicinity of monuments. Many encroachments obstruct the view of monuments,” added the official. He added that 24 historical sites across India have disappeared due to rapid urbanisation of the surrounding areas.
Cases of encroachment keep pending in courts for years, if not decades. Superintending Archaeologists are authorised to issue show cause notices under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, followed by a direction to the District Collector by Central Government to remove encroachments. Complaints are registered under the Act.
Officials said that to contain encroachments and removing them, Superintending Archaeologists have been vested with powers of an Estate Officer to issue eviction notices to encroachers. In addition to the regular watch and ward staff, private security personnel, police guards and CISF have also been deployed for the safety and security of selected monuments.
