Road project near heritage site under DUAC scanner

A team of DUAC visited the site of a “thrust bed” being built very near the northeastern edge of the Salimgarh Fort — part of the World Heritage Site of Red Fort Complex — to check if there is any change in alignment of a Ring Road bypass project under construction, reports Nivedita Khandekar.

A team of Delhi Urban Arts Commission (DUAC) visited the site of a “thrust bed” being built very near the northeastern edge of the Salimgarh Fort — part of the World Heritage Site of Red Fort Complex — to check if there is any change in alignment of a Ring Road bypass project under construction.

HT Image

The Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi is going ahead with the project to be completed ahead of the Commonwealth Games 2010.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had earlier given permission for the project with a rider that “any road expansion away should be carried out away from the fort wall.”

The PWD is allegedly carrying out work very near the Fort wall, deviating from the originally sanctioned alignment.

Adding to the problem from the heritage point of view is a “thrust bed” near the northeastern side of the Salimgarh Fort being constructed by the Railways for the PWD.

Northern Railway, which owns the embankment, is building the thrust bed for a concrete box that will facilitate the road.

There are huge iron barricades with ‘Commonwealth Games 2010’ and ‘Northern Railways’ written over it.

“The DUAC team visited the place 10 days ago and it was indeed found that work is being carried out very near the Fort wall. The commission is actively considering taking action against the authorities concerned,” sources said.

However, PWD officials maintained that there has been no change in alignment.

If there are serious damages to the wall, the World Heritage status might be jeopardised.

The Delhi government had last year by-passed the Delhi Urban Arts Commission for this project.

Last month, the ASI had taken up the issue with the PWD and work was stopped on the side towards the Fort wall.

Incidentally, work on the project goes on unhindered even after the ASI sent notices to the authorities after the Delhi High Court quashed a committee that sanctioned the project from heritage point of view.

The bypass project is aimed at reducing congestion on Ring Road.

The situation has turned precarious after the ASI’s expert committee was declared illegal by the High Court last month.