INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: In a case of negligence, ASI's failure to protect the excavated remains of the historical legacy spanning over 2,500 years at
Purana Qilahas resulted in extensive rain-water damage to several sites
According to sources, temporary arrangements such as tarpaulins failed to protect the sites and several remains, including the unburnt
bricks of the Kushana period, were damaged due to rainwater.Vasant Swarnkar, project director and spokesperson of ASI, told TOI that work to
put up sheds at the site was under process
He claimed that necessary precautions had been taken by covering the sites with tarpaulin sheets, but some water had dripped in.When
contacted, superintendent archeologist (Delhi circle) Praveen Singh said the installation of sheds at the site had been proposed, but it
could not be said when the work for the same would start as the process is yet to begin.This has happened despite Union minister of culture
G Kishan Reddy's recent announcement about protecting these sites
On May 30, the minister had said, "The excavated remains will be preserved, conserved and provided with a shed
The site will be showcased as an open-air site museum, allowing visitors to experience the historical legacy of Delhi."A visitor, Shyamlal
Gupta, who went to the site on Monday, said this one-of-a-kind site had witnessed the history of over 2,500 years but ASI was not taking any
interest in protecting it
How will they showcase the site if it's damaged, he questioned.ASI officials had earlier claimed that the excavated remains at Purana Qila
would serve as a point of attraction to the delegates of the G20 Summit scheduled to be held in Delhi in September
However, no significant protection from the weather has been provided to the site.Purana Qila has witnessed multiple excavations in the past
Notably, professor B B Lal conducted excavations in 1955 and between 1969-73, followed by excavations led by Swarnkar in 2013-14 and 2017-18
These efforts have revealed nine cultural levels, representing different historical periods, including Pre-Mauryan, Mauryan, Sunga, Kushan,
Gupta, Post Gupta, Rajput, Sultanate and Mughal.
