CUTTACK: Discovery of a tunnel-like structure under a road during excavation work for the ongoing Odisha Integrated Sanitation Improvement Project at Kathgada Sahi fuelled curiosity and excitement among locals and denizens of the Millennium City on Tuesday.
The structure was found about 10 ft below the surface near the Hanuman temple. Made of bricks, it appeared to be running under the road and the houses along the vicinity. It is being stated to be a centuries-old tunnel from the British era, which has been buried as the locality has developed over the years.
As soon as the structure came into light, the excavation work was stopped with the district administration and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) deciding on a proper evaluation of the structure to confirm its historicity and importance. Experts from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and State Archeology Department will be called in to examine the structure, authorities said.
“At the first sight, it appears to be a tunnel. But the brick construction and the arch also suggest an ancient housing structure that would have been buried in course of time and elevation of ground for new constructions. Locals have also not much idea about the structure, CMC Commissioner Gyana Das said.
“We have immediately stopped the work and informed the ASI office at Barabati Fort. The experts are expected to examine the structure and give their opinion within next couple of days,” Das said.