NEW DELHI: North Delhi Municipal Corporation today issued a challan to Archaeological Survey of India for finding garbage near the boundary wall of the Red Fort during a cleanliness campaign today, the civic body said.
A civic team under NDMC's Leader of House Yogender Chandolia undertook the drive in the City Zone and found that the trench around the Red Fort was overgrown with weeds and dumped with filth and issued a challan to ASI. The central body looks after the upkeep of the historical monument, a World Heritage Site. Red Fort is also one of the Adarsh Monuments identified by the Centre.
"The trench around the Red Fort which is 16-17 ft deep had overgrowth of weeds and filth was found dumped inside it," Chandolia said. "The locals of Bagichi Madav Das and Angoori Bagh complained to us of mosquito meance and alleged that the filth in the trench of the Red Fort was a breeding ground of mosquitoes," he said.
The challan issued against ASI mentioned that a team of officials found filth and garbage in the trench and around the walls of the Red Fort near Salimgarh Railway Colony, causing problems to the local inhabitants. The challan was issued to an ASI-employed foreman, identified as Rajpal, who refused to sign the receipt of the challan, an official of the NDMC said.
As per the challan issued by NDMC, the ASI will have to appear before the Metropolitan Muncipal Magistrate on October 1, who will decide further action in the matter, he added. Officials at ASI could not be immediately reached for comments.