New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Sunday visited the archaeological sites at two heritage parks here and asked the officials to chalk out a concrete plan of action and complete related works before the onset of monsoon this year.
Accompanied by officials of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), he visited Balban’s Tomb, Jamali Kamali mosque and tomb, Rajon ki Baoli in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, and Lalkot Baoli and Qila Rai Pithora in Sanjay Van.
The DDA will undertake the work of conservation, restoration and redevelopment of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park, Sanjay Van and Shalimar Bagh, at its own cost under the overall supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the officials had said on Friday.
The three parks under the DDA’s ownership have several ASI-protected monuments, which were hitherto lying in a “state of neglect,” they said.
The DDA will undertake “comprehensive exercise of redevelopment of all these parks and monuments at its own expense under the overall supervision of the ASI,” a senior official had said.
Saxena on Sunday undertook an extensive visit of these places and directed the DDA to carry out a comprehensive conservation and restoration work under the ASI’s overall supervision of several heritage monuments “lying on the verge of destruction due to utter neglect”, the Raj Niwas officials said.
He asked the officials to chalk out a concrete plan of action and complete the related work before the onset of monsoon this year, they said.
During the visit, the LG also “discovered’ two ancient wells” in Rajon ki Baoli and Qila rai Pithora that were lying in shambles filled with heaps of garbage and muck.
Saxena directed the officials to immediately take up the cleaning of the two wells and their restoration and conservation at the earliest, the officials said.
The LG rued that these heritage monuments, tucked in the middle of the dense forests, were “lying in a state of utter neglect over the years”.
However, once restored, these monuments will be the new found assets for the national capital and will “help Delhi emerge as a heritage city,” Saxena was quoted as saying by a senior official. PTI KND AS AS
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