LUCKNOW: An expert team from IIT-Kanpur will be assisting the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the process of conducting a scientific survey on Gyanvapi mosque premises in compliance with the court order on Friday.
ASI had reached out to the Earth Sciences department of IIT-Kanpur in July to assist the agency in using ground penetration radar (GPR) for the survey.
Professor Javed N Malik, the head of the Earth Sciences department at IIT-K, would lead the survey with ASI experts.
According to Malik, GPR is a robust non-intrusive and non-destructive technique used in imaging underground structures and sub-surface mapping.
It is a non-destructive geophysical method conducted using radar pulses to image something beneath the surface, especially underground.
It is extensively used in archaeology to detect and locate buried artefacts, structures, and archaeological features.
It helps archaeologists in the non-destructive exploration of historical sites and provides valuable insights into the past. Significantly, the ASI has submitted an affidavit to the Allahabad High Court assuring it that there would be no damage to the structure during the survey.
The ASI had also informed the court during the hearing that it would take technical support from IIT-Kanpur in the survey.
The ASI submission had come after chief justice Pritinker Diwaker asked the Additional Solicitor General of India to call any expert member of ASI from Varanasi to demonstrate to the court how the survey would be conducted.
Justice Diwaker was hearing the plea filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee (AIMC) challenging the Varanasi district court’s order (dated July 21) for the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi premises.