E-Paper
Water-logged Sun Temple out of bounds for tourists
The famous Sun Temple at Konark finds itself waterlogged following torrential rains in Bhubaneswar since last week and stares at the possibility of danger to its structure even as visitors return without a closer look.
The famous Sun Temple at Konark finds itself waterlogged following torrential rains in Bhubaneswar since last week and stares at the possibility of danger to its structure even as visitors return without a closer look.
Visitors to the Sun Temple, also known as Black Pagoda, are wading through 2-3 feet deep waters to catch a closer glimpse of the structure.
A large number of tourists have returned without having a proper look at the world famous monument since yesterday.
"It was extremely difficult to reach the temple due to water-logging. Though I managed to reach the structure, my wife couldn't," Chinmay, a 40-year-old visitor after returning from Konark, said.
Locals point out that water-logging at the historic site has been a regular feature for the last couple of years.
"Whenever it rains heavily for long, the problem crops up as there is no proper outlet for water," said a resident of a nearby village.
A social worker from the area, Rabindra Kumar Bahinipati said prolonged water-logging, which is an acute problem on the northern side of the 13th century monument, could damage the structure. He rued that the fact that no concrete measure has been taken to rectify the drainage system.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), though, has built a soak pit but that is proving highly inadequate.
