BHUBANESWAR: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday set one-month deadline for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to file reply to a PIL seeking intervention for cleaning up of the moat around Barabati Fort.
City-based lawyer Shivsankar Mohanty had filed the petition seeking compliance of the order issued by the high court on March 7, 2003 to the authorities “to forthwith restore the moat fully to its original condition with continuity right through and without obstruction within a period of three months”.
The 2.5 km stretch of moat surrounding the fort built between 12th and 13th century by the Ganga rulers used to be filled with water and was intended to defend against any attack from enemies.
The Barabati Fort was declared protected in 1915. The ASI had excavated a mound in 1989 and had since developed a well laid out garden there with avenue plantation in adjacent parts. But abundant growth of weeds in the moat has continued as it has remained neglected.
The petition also sought the court’s intervention for implementation of the scheme to develop the Gadakhai (moat) into multi-purpose water sports complex within a stipulated period. The project on completion would give a major boost to tourism in Cuttack, the petition said.
Though filed in 2020 the petition was pending adjudication. When the petition was taken up on Tuesday, Mohanty appearing-in-person pressed for a direction seeking responses from the concerned authorities.
Acting on it the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy directed the ASI and CMC to file their respective counter affidavits by April 14 and fixed May 15 for hearing on the matter along with the responses.