Agra, Dec 27 (IANS) Conservationists here have reacted sharply
after a
seven-foot-long slab of red sandstone fell off at the Taj Mahal
this week.
Is the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) - responsible for
the upkeep of
historical monuments - doing its job, they are asking.
Luckily, 'there was no one around, otherwise there would have
been a grim
tragedy,' said Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage
Conservation Society.
The slab fell close to the booking window at the eastern gate
of the Taj at
6 a.m. Wednesday. The ASI has so far tried to explain away the
incident by
saying that iron rods under the slab had rusted.
But historians and other experts in the city say ASI staffers
are simply not
paying enough attention to the maintenance of monuments.
'Corruption in the ranks (of the ASI) will one day eat into the
vitals of
these monuments. They have not been following the guidelines regarding
conservation measures in the 1923 Marshall's manual. Instead of
using
original texture and raw materials they are using white cement
to plaster
walls and painting them red with geru powder,' said an eminent
Mughal
historian.
A private contractor supplying stones for renovation said: 'Good
quality red
sandstone is not being used, instead the Fatehpur Sikri stone
is being used
extensively as it is cheaper and allows people to take cuts and
commissions.
But it is of substandard quality.'
If a star world heritage monument like the Taj Mahal cannot be
maintained
according to classical norms described in the ASI manuals, it
is time to
review the existing framework within which official conservationists
operate, suggests historian Amit Mukherjea.
Allegations have regularly been hurled against top officials
of the ASI that
they indulge in corrupt practices, promote black marketing of
tickets and
fail to involve the local populace in the restoration and upkeep
of heritage
monuments.
Even its expertise in conservational work has been questioned.
Local tourism
industry leaders like Rakesh Chauhan and Sandeep Arora want the
ASI to play
a more proactive role and assert its authority rather than playing
into the
hands of vested interests.
Local historians have pointed out dozens of structures in Agra
that need
immediate attention and repairs.
'Our total approach has been Taj-centric, paying scant attention
to other
historical monuments like Babar's Ram Bagh or Chini ka Roza. Several
important monuments, including the Jami Masjid of Agra and the
tomb of Rasul
Shah in Fatehpur Sikri, have been neglected,' adds history scholar
Shipra.
Perhaps the most alarming lapse has been the ASI's abject failure
to rid the
monuments of illegal structures and encroachments. The 1958 Act
gives it
sweeping powers but the mandarins in the ASI have never had the
will to act.
Most smaller protected monuments in Agra - and there are scores
of them -
have been virtually overwhelmed by new structures which threaten
their
existence. Delhi Gate, Etmauddaula, Sikandra, Ram Bagh and dozens
of others
have been dwarfed by encroachments.
In the Civil Courts premises, new structures have come up close
to Jhunjhun
Maqbara, a protected monument. In another protected monument on
Mathura
road, Salaawat Khan's tomb (chausanth khamba), new additions have
been made
and iron grills placed, apparently violating the original design
of the
monument.
In the Agra Fort whole walls have been cement plastered instead
of using the
original 'chuna' (cement). 'It presents such a gaudy sight when
you see such
thoughtless conservation work,' comments Hari Dutt Sharma, a mediaperson.
The controversial Taj Corridor issue is still hanging fire with
the ASI
showing hardly any interest in clearing up the debris or greening
the
80-acre patch in the river Yamuna between Agra Fort and the Taj
Mahal.
As part of the corridor, the area between Agra Fort and the Taj
on the
riverbed was to be developed as an amusement park with a shopping
complex,
but it was stopped by the Supreme Court in 2003 after conservationists
raised a hue and cry.
'It (the debris) is an eyesore between two world heritage monuments
but the
ASI is least bothered about cleaning up the mess,' says tourist
guide
Shabir.
Historians and conservationists in Agra feel the ASI should be
in the hands
of professional conservationists, people who are passionate about
their job
