BHUBANESWAR: The Works department has carried out ground penetration radar (GPR) survey of a section of area around the Suka-Sari temple complex in Ekamra Kshetra heritage zone to determine structures buried underneath.
The survey was done by the Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Limited (OBCC) in the last three days, as a part of the Ekamra Kshetra beautification plan. The Works department has roped in IIT-Gandhinagar to carry out the survey.
The latter would submit its report within a month. An official of the department said earlier a similar survey was carried out in the Ekamra Kshetra but it could not give out much details which is why, a second survey was done.
Earlier this year, the BMC and BDA had come under criticism for demolishing structures near the Suka Sari temple complex without undertaking a GPR survey which is mandatory prior to any construction/demolition at a heritage zone. GPR is a non-intrusive geophysical method to image the sub-surface. Following the demolition drive, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had raised concerns and written to the State government suggesting GPR of the heritage zone.