Too close to road, ancient structures, offices face axe

Three structures in Mumbai — a stretch of road and two private offices — are facing the axe because they were built too close to protected monuments.

Three structures — a stretch of road and two private offices — are facing the axe because they were built too close to protected monuments.

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The first structure in question is a stretch of the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road in Andheri, built by the state government.

The road is just 75 metres from the 2,000-year-old Buddhist Mahakali caves.

Further south, in Parel, builders Darshan Group and P.M. Gajeralwar had set up site offices and were planning to build commercial and resident complexes just 26 metres and 11.25 metres respectively from a giant pillar with the image of Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction, in bas relief.

Both the caves and the pillar are listed as protected monuments by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and, as such, are meant to have a 100-metre buffer zone maintained around them.

“The projects were approved by an expert committee formed in 2006,” said Superintending Archaeologist (Mumbai Circle) M.S. Chauhan. “The [Delhi High] Court has now declared this committee illegal, so all the projects they sanctioned will be issued show-cause notices.”

The Delhi High Court became involved after a Supreme Court lawyer filed a case challenging the permission granted to a private builder for a project just 88 metres from Humayun’s Tomb in South Delhi.

The tomb of the Mughal emperor, an elaborate complex dating back to 1570, is listed as a United Nations world heritage site.

The builder concerned was granted permission by the same expert committee that sanctioned the road and offices in Mumbai.

The Delhi High Court has now said that the ASI, entrusted with the responsibility of preserving monuments, had no right to form such an arbitrary committee and permit construction within prohibited zones.

On December 9, the Delhi court ordered the ASI to issue show-cause notices to three of the six structures sanctioned in Mumbai.

Within a month, 171 others across the country will also be issued notices. “The ASI will approach the Supreme Court and then take a final decision on the future of these projects,” said Chauhan.