TIRUNELVELI: Survey of India (SoI) began restoring a two-century-old Great Trigonometrical Survey (GT) station at Uthayathur village near Radhapuram on Saturday.
TNIE reported in July that the heritage station had been damaged by miscreants and that the surrounding land had been encroached upon. During its visit, TNIE found the structure in a dilapidated condition.
Former Radhapuram panchayat vice-president S Murugesan had alleged that a portion of the pedestal was damaged using an excavator by an individual attempting to remove stones from the structure for construction purposes. He had also alleged that the district administration had failed to protect the heritage structure despite his repeated petitions.
After the issue was highlighted, the district administration released a list of 16 GT stations in the district in response to an RTI application filed by Murugesan. A team of SoI officials, including officer surveyor M Thayalan, and officials from the State Survey Department inaugurated the restoration works, which include repairing damaged portions, painting, and fencing.