ASI halts construction of tunnel road near Humayun Tomb
Feb 20, 2007 - 5:28:36 PM
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Under the proposed Rs.6 billion-project, the tunnel would start at the place where the Nizamuddin bridge meets the Ring Road and stretch along the boundary wall of Delhi Zoo towards Meher Chand Khanna Market in Lodhi Colony. From there, it would lead to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium - one of the six stadiums getting ready to host the mega sports event.
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By Liz Mathew and Prashant K. Nanda, IANS,
[RxPG] New Delhi, Feb 20 - The Archaeological Survey of India - has cancelled the construction of the controversial tunnel road linking NH-24 bypass to Lodhi Road as it was seen as a threat to the Humayun's tomb, a World Heritage Site.
The ASI had earlier granted a no objection certificate - to the Delhi government for the construction of the tunnel - a link between NH-24 and the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which would host a number of events in the Delhi Commonwealth Games 2010. It has now withdrawn the permission, said tourism ministry sources.
According to the sources, C. Babu Rajeev, director general of ASI, wrote to Delhi Chief Secretary Narayan Swamy Monday saying that the state government should not go ahead with the construction work as proposed.
'The ASI has decided to suspend the NOC issued earlier till all relevant issues are re-examined in the light of the submissions made by various agencies and response of the Delhi administration on the conditionalities is received,' Rajeev's letter said.
The 2.6 km corridor was expected to come up a few 100 metres from Mughal Emperor Humayun's tomb and its purpose was to ferry sportspersons for the 15-day Commonwealth games in 2010.
The ASI's decision to give a NOC to the Delhi government had sparked outrage from a number of town planners and heritage experts. They had complained that the tunnel road would weaken the base of the tomb.
In the letter, Rajeev added the proposed link road would be passing through many heritage areas of the city.
'The matter of the new link road connecting NH 24 by pass to Lodhi Road and its implications on the cultural landscape of Delhi was discussed in three meetings of the expert advisory committee of the ASI as the road would be passing through prime heritage areas of the city,' the letter said.
The ASI pointed out that the Delhi government had not yet responded to the questions and conditions raised by it regarding the management and construction of the link road.
'Permission of the ASI to the construction was subject to conditions with regard to management of the excavated earth, agreed alignments, movements of earth moving machinery, engagement of archaeologists for salvage archaeology, appropriate clearance from the ministry of environment and forest or other concerned agencies and the absence of escape routes/ramps within the prohibited areas.' The letter read.
Rajeev asserted that these points had been put forth at the time the NOC was issued.
'We have not received any response of the PWD -, Delhi government, on the above conditions,' the director said in his letter.
Under the proposed Rs.6 billion-project, the tunnel would start at the place where the Nizamuddin bridge meets the Ring Road and stretch along the boundary wall of Delhi Zoo towards Meher Chand Khanna Market in Lodhi Colony. From there, it would lead to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium - one of the six stadiums getting ready to host the mega sports event.
Environment and heritage experts said the project would affect other protected monuments near Humayun's tomb like the Sundarwala Burj, Lakhadwala tomb, Sunder nursery and the tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia.
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