35 monuments lost due to urbanization

New Delhi, Dec 5 (UNI) As many as 35 Centrally-protected monuments and sites, including 12 in the national capital itself, have become untraceable in the wake of unrestrained onslaughts of urbanisation.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Culture Minister Ambika Soni said the major causes for the disappearence of these monuments are rapid urbanisation, construction of multi-storeyed residential and commercial buildings and implementation of development projects.

Delhi tops the list with 12 lost monuments, followed by Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttaranchal and Jammu and Kashmir (3 each), Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat (2 each) and Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Karnataka (1 each).

Delhi has lost monuments like the Moti Gate built by Shershah, the Alipur Cemetery, Shamnsi pond, tomb of Capt. Mc. Barnett and others who fell in an attack on Kishanganj in North Delhi, tomb with three domes near Nizamuddin railway station and Nicholson Statue, its platform and surrounding gardens outside Kashmiri Gate, also in North Delhi.

In Jammu and Kashmir, rock carving of Sitala, Narad, Brahma, Radha Krishna and Visveswara and other cave temples, all in Kathura district, have gone into oblivion.

Among the eight monuments lost in Uttar Pradesh are Closed Cemetery in Banda district, Imambara Amin-ud-Daula and three other tombs in Lucknow and cemeteries in Lucknow.

Gujarat has lost Ancient Site at Sejakpur in Surendranagar district and a Historic Site at Vadodara.

A pre-historic site at Kittur in Mysore district in Karnataka, a 12th century temple at Baran in Rajasthan, Mughal Kos Minar at Mejjesar in Haryana, Ruins of Copper Temple in Arunachal Pradesh, an inscription in fort in Tonk district and a 12th century temple at Baran in Rajasthan have also been lost because of urbanisation, the minister said.

MsSonia said in order to contain illegal construction, the Centre issued a declartion in 1992, declaring areas up to 100 metres from the limits of monuments of national importance as prohibited areas, where all consrtruction and mining activities are banned.

Another 200 metres beyond this zone have been declared as regulated area where construction and mining aqctivity is allowed only in accordance with the terms and conditions of a licence issued by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).