The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) earlier this month wrote to the Odisha government warning of the potential dangers of the Puri Heritage Corridor project to the structural security of the Puri Jagannath temple. The letter comes days after ASI Director General V Vidyavati visited the temple in the last week of February to oversee the ongoing project work. The ASI is the custodian of the Puri Jagannath Temple.
“During the visit, we found discrepancies. There were huge earth moving machines and excavators, which are being used for excavation activities near the temple. The scale at which the process is going on could pose a potential threat to the structure of the temple. We have written to the Puri District Collector and Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation Limited (OBCC) seeking their replies for the purpose of large scale excavation activities,” said Arun Malik, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI Bhubaneswar Circle, Indian Express on Thursday.
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The work on the project started soon after the Chief Minister. Naveen Patnaik The foundation stone was laid in January this year. The project is being taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 3,200 crore. A total of 22 projects will be implemented in a phased manner.
Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, any new construction within 100 meters of the temple is prohibited. But for the Puri Heritage Corridor project, the National Monuments Authority has issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the state government for the construction of a cloakroom, a shelter pavilion, three toilets, an electrical room and a footpath. meter area.
However, the ASI has argued that it has not issued NOC to the Odisha government to allow construction work within 100 meters of the temple. An ASI official said, “We can issue NOC only if the government provides us the heritage impact assessment report.
Puri District Collector Samarth Verma said there was no violation of norms and all construction would be done in coordination with the ASI.