Heritage site suffers as pollution menace takes its toll
Although Allahabad Museum functions to conserve antiques from across the country, the museum itself is posing a threat to the Government Public Library building situated nearby besides polluting the environment of the Chandra Shekhar Azad Park (Company Bagh).
The exterior of the Public Library building has lost its shine and getting blackened day by day owing to soot coming out of the heavy generator installed by the Museum. The soot has formed a coating on the outer walls of the premises.
The Gothic style structure of the building is of historical interest. The library is visited by many a students and intellectuals regularly.
Expressing concern over the issue Librarian Ahmed Uddin said "The entire area gets polluted when the generator operates during power cuts which has been installed just in the front of the library. Even the visitors feel suffocated as heavy smoke and soot from the generator covers the entire area and enters into the hall of the library and adjacent rooms". The smoke has discoloured the walls and might cause decay of the sand stone structure as well, he added.
Besides the smoke from Museum generator, the apathetic attitude of the officials responsible for maintenance of Public Library premises has also led to decaying of the building. The precious books are getting damaged due to water seepage from the roof during rains. The parasol installed on the openings of the roof have got damaged allowing the rain water to enter the rooms. The books are also left unsafe owing to lack of any security at the library.
{{/usCountry}}Besides the smoke from Museum generator, the apathetic attitude of the officials responsible for maintenance of Public Library premises has also led to decaying of the building. The precious books are getting damaged due to water seepage from the roof during rains. The parasol installed on the openings of the roof have got damaged allowing the rain water to enter the rooms. The books are also left unsafe owing to lack of any security at the library.
{{/usCountry}}Moreover orchids have grown at the various spots across the building.
"The wooden base on which the parasol was installed has got damaged thus could not hold the metal sheets attached to it", said Ahmed . He added that Rs 50 lakh was sanctioned for the maintenance of the building and Jal Nigam was assigned the task.
The visitors to the library have also complained about the barricade placed on the road to library as they had to park their vehicles at the vehicle stand set up there.
Several Allahabad University students, teachers and scholars have expressed anguish over the vehicle stand operated by the Company Garden authorities near Public Library despite a free of charge parking place available at the library.
On being contacted the Superintendent Government Gardens, Akhand Pratap Singh, said, the Museum authorities have been informed about the pollution problem and action will be taken to check pollution if it continued any more. The barricading has been done to check the number of vehicles entering the Company Garden and creating nuisance and pollution in the garden. However the staff and visiting members of the library were allowed to pass through with their vehicle, he added.