TIRUCHY: Stones tumbling down from a centuries-old expansive stone wall at Rock Fort are making life a little riskier for the families living alongside it. The wall at Rock Fort along Andal Street has begun showing signs of weakening due to prolonged neglect, with plants and trees growing from the crevices, and recent months have seen stones falling from the stone walls onto houses nearby.
Compounding the situation is the reluctance of both the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the HR&CE departments to take responsibility for the wall. Manoharan, a resident, recounted an incident: "One day, there was a loud crash behind the house.
Upon inspection, I saw large stones lying. The wall requires urgent maintenance; otherwise, it poses a substantial risk." Not only are the residents below the wall in jeopardy; Should the wall collapse, the houses situated atop the structure would also bear the brunt.
Marimuthu, another resident, emphasised the necessity to promptly clear vegetation on the wall and conduct maintenance with input from civil engineers specialising in archaeological structures. However, the primary issue lies in the absence of any department taking responsibility for the wall. Upon questioning, ASI officers of the Tiruchy circle clarified that the wall did not fall within their purview.
"Our jurisdiction covers only the caves and pathways leading to them," they stated. Hariharan Subramanian, assistant commissioner of Rock Fort Temple under the HR&CE, mentioned, "The wall is not within our department's responsibility. Some time ago, when residents filed a complaint about the wall with the district administration, we explicitly stated our lack of authority over the wall."