The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for exhibiting “total callousness” and suppressing facts about the condition of the Capital’s heritage monuments, after news reports highlighting extensive encroachment at Lodhi-era tombs in Zamrudpur brought the discrepancy to the court’s notice.
The court also summoned the top officials of both agencies to appear before it and explain their conduct. The report was cited in an application filed by Delhi resident Rajeev Suri, through whose petition the court has been monitoring the preservation and upkeep of heritage structures and sites in the Capital. We are not able to understand how such a stand could be taken by MCD. The court-appointed commissioners, led by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan besides advocates Nipun Saxena and Vishal Sinha, pointed out that there are five Grade-I heritage buildings in Zamrudpur under the MCD, of which one cannot be traced.
Posting the matter for October 7, a bench of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N Kotiswar Singh directed, “We are left with no option but to direct the personal presence of the additional commissioner of MCD and director general, ASI, to show cause by way of affidavit why this court should not take serious note of such conduct and pass appropriate orders. The court’s strong observations came after it was apprised of an August 10 Hindustan Times report on the sorry state of Lodhi-era tombs in Zamrudpur, which have been heavily encroached upon. The court was informed that the MCD had filed a status report on April 10 stating that, upon survey, one of the five tombs located in Delhi’s Zamrudpur was found in a satisfactory state, while encroachment and littering had been noticed around three structures. Referring to the HT report of August 10 and an earlier report published in another national daily, the court said, “The pictures are so appalling.
Finding fault with the ASI as well, Sankaranarayanan said, “In April, the ASI filed an affidavit in this court which showed these two monuments (under ASI) to be in ‘good state of preservation’ with no encroachment.”
