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Rumi Darwaza cracks: ASI on the job, says repairs begin as soon as dist admn stops traffic
The cracks are around 8 to ten years old. The repairs were planned a few months ago and were slated to start in September, an ASI official said
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has planned repairs of the iconic Rumi Darwaza, to rid it of the many small cracks which have developed in it. However, the repairs will be possible only when the district administration decides to stop traffic on the road on which the structure is situated.
Dr Aftab Hussain, chief archaeologist, ASI, Lucknow region said, “The cracks are around 8 to ten years old. The repairs were planned a few months ago and were slated to start in September. For us to repair the structure, the district administration will have to divert traffic on that road for at least three months. If not repaired now, things could get worse for the iconic monument.”
Commenting on the recent incident when a portion of the parapet of the Bara Imambara fell, he said, “The parapet fell partly because of the presence of a heavy box on it, and partly due to the dangling wires which helped water seep into the structure. Repair work there will start soon and our team has already surveyed the parapet. Following the inspection notes of the team, ASI Lucknow has sent an estimate for repairs to higher authorities for approval.”
Heritage activist Mohammad Haider said, “There is an alternative route parallel to the 1.3 km heritage stretch, which starts from Tile Wali Masjid and goes till Jama Masjid tri-section via Rumi Darwaza. The parallel road connects Tile Wali Masjid to Kudiya Ghat. But, the administration is yet to initiate the diversion.”
An official of the district administration said, “The district administration will act immediately once the ASI sends the proposal to start work on the Rumi Darwaza.”
Head of department history, Navyug Girls Post Graduate College, Dr Shobha Mishra said, “The repair of the heritage monument is needed immediately. Repairs will give a fresh lease of life to the structure that was constructed by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula in 1784.”
She said, “Why I am saying immediate repairs because the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur (IIT-K) declared the Rumi Darwaza as the ‘most vulnerable standing monument of the city’. The conclusion was drawn after the department of civil engineering, IIT-K, carried out a study of the structure in 2013. I don’t want Rumi Darwaza to become the first monument to crumble in case of any future earthquakes in the state capital which is in seismic zone III.”
