E-Paper
Lko’s iconic Imambadas remain closed due to delay in district admin’s order
A district administration official said that ‘the administration will chalk out a suitable plan not only to reopen the structures but also to ensure that the Covid-19 protocol is strictly followed’
At a time when all centrally protected monuments reopened on Wednesday, Lucknow’s iconic Bada Imambada, Chhota Imambada, Picture Gallery and others historical structures remained closed due to “delay” in the district administration’s order on reopening, said officials of Hussainabad and Allied Trust (HAT) that owns the heritage structures.
Bada Imambada’s closure order was initiated on April 16 by the district magistrate, who is also a custodian of the HAT, following the surge in the Covid 19 cases. However, the re-opening orders are still awaited, they said. “On Monday, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) after getting a go-ahead from ministry of culture had announced that all sites, museums and protected structures would be re-opened from Wednesday (June 16) onwards. However, the order could not be followed here in the state capital,” an official with the ASI, Lucknow circle, said.
Meanwhile, Vishwa Bhushan Misra, additional district magistrate (Trans Gomti), who is in charge of HAT said, “The decision is under process. The administration will chalk out a suitable plan not only to reopen the structure but also to ensure that Covid protocol is strictly followed.”
Other than Bada Imambada, the Residency--an another ASI protected structure, re-opened for the tourists on Wednesday. However, the officials with ASI said the tourist inflow was far less, however, they expect the situation to improve by the weekend.
Prolonged closure of Baba Imambada has not only added to the woes of the tourists, but also to some 80 tourist guides who are attached with the trust. “In previous lockdown, the Imambada remained closed for around 190 days. And at present, the Imambada and other structures are lying closed for the last two months and the frequent closure has left a severe dent on our income,” said Athar Hussain, one of the oldest guides who completed 21 years’ service on August 23 last year.
Imambada officials said it’s not the first time when lack of co-ordination between the ministry of culture and Lucknow district machinery has been witnessed. The similar thing had happened during the last lockdown also when the heritage structures here remained closed even after the ministry’s order to reopen them from July 6 onwards.
However, on pretext of the no-availability of the online ticketing system the heritage structures remained closed till September 23, 2020, nearly 190 days.
