DDA plans inspection of Mehrauli park which has 80 monuments

A day after the Hindustan Times highlighted the dilapidated condition of the Capital's only archaeological park — the Mehrauli Archaeological Park — near Qutab Minar, the authorities have swung into action.

A day after the Hindustan Times highlighted the dilapidated condition of the Capital's only archaeological park — the Mehrauli Archaeological Park — near Qutab Minar, the authorities have swung into action.

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The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), responsible for the maintenance of the park, has called for an inspection by officials from agencies concerned on Monday.

Officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Delhi government's department of archaeology would also be present during the inspection.

"We would discuss the measures for restoration of the park and set a deadline for its implementation," said a senior DDA official.

Spread over 100 acres, the park houses over 80 monuments and ruins from all periods of Delhi's history -- spread over the past 1000 years.

The park had been turned into a dumping yard and fed up by the indifference of the authorities, residents from nearby areas had taken up a cleaning drive at the park on Saturday.

Lagan Rai McPereira, a resident of Mehrauli, said, "We are happy that the agencies have finally taken a note. The residents should also have a sense of history and care for monuments."

"We hope the park would become an heritage tourism destination," she said.

Stating that a boundary wall on the western periphery of the park would be erected to stop people from dumping their garbage and trespassing, the DDA official said, "A cleaning drive would be initiated immediately by the horticulture department. The problem of encroachment in the park would also be checked. An open drain that flows through the park would be taken care of at the earliest."