ASI piqued by 'unauthorised desiltation' at Nalanda University complex

Goutami Bhattacharya, the superintending archaeologist of ASI-Patna circle told PTI, said that the desiltation work was carried out without having procured a no-objection certificate from the agency.Despite repeated requests by field officials of the ASI and bringing the matter to the notice of the district magistrate, desiltation work of Dehar pokhar -- behind temple site 14 of ancient Nalanda University -- was carried out by a junior engineer of the minor water resources department of the Bihar government.

The Patna circle of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken umbrage at government engineers who allegedly carried out unauthorised desiltation work in the prohibited part of the Nalanda University, a world heritage site, causing damage to a brick wall of the Pala period that lay buried there. Goutami Bhattacharya, the superintending archaeologist of ASI-Patna circle told PTI, said that the desiltation work was carried out without having procured a no-objection certificate from the agency.

“Despite repeated requests by field officials of the ASI and bringing the matter to the notice of the district magistrate, desiltation work of Dehar pokhar -- behind temple site 14 of ancient Nalanda University -- was carried out by a junior engineer of the minor water resources department of the Bihar government. “As a result, ancient brickwork of ‘Pala’ period (8th to 12th century) was exposed at the site,” she said.

The exposed structures ''show evidence of vandalism'' by heavy-duty machinery, Bhattacharya stated.

“Such blatant disregard of established procedures and deliberate destruction of heritage structure in the vicinity of a world heritage site is unpardonable. Strict action must be taken against the official concerned for violation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR-Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010,” she explained.

Bhattacharya also said that she wrote to Parmar Ravi Manubhai, the additional chief secretary (ACS) of the Minor Water Resources Department, raising the issue and seeking against the engineer concerned Manubhai, when approached, said he had already sought an explanation from the officials.

“The matter will be thoroughly examined. If officials concerned are found guilty, appropriate departmental action will be initiated against them,” he added.