Bombay high court directs ASI to protect medieval aqueduct in Aurangabad

The bench said asking the state government to take over the work of preserving the monument will defeat the purpose

The Bombay high court has expressed displeasure over the apathetic approach of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in maintaining Thatte Nahar, a 7.5km long aqueduct in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad built over two-and-half centuries back. It directed the ASI on Monday to maintain the aqueduct properly and also reconsidering its decision of not declaring it a protected monument.

Bombay high court. (HT Archive)

A division bench of Justices SV Gangapurwala and Avinash Gharote expressed displeasure over the Union culture ministry, the ASI, and Aurangabad superintending archaeologist’s view that Thatte Nahar required to be protected, but the Maharashtra government should do it.

“We are unable to countenance this argument as this merely results in passing the buck and nothing else,” said the bench.

The bench said asking the state government to take over the work of preserving the monument will defeat the purpose. It added the ASI took over the monument in 1971 and has been maintaining it since.

“This is not only dereliction of the duties and responsibilities under the AMASR [Ancient Monuments And Archaeological Sites And Remains] Act but apathy of the grossest nature, which in fact results in destroying the very purpose for which the ASI has been created,” said the bench.

Anant Thatte, a descendant of Bhagwantrao Thatte, who built the underground water channel in 1762, moved the court in 2013, challenging ASI’s move against declaring it a protected monument.