Mumbai: Maharashtra Archaeology Department will hold an inspection into the preservation and conservation work of the heritage Bandra Fort after environmentalists had raised concerns regarding the repair work and had alleged concretisation of the fort.
The Free Press Journal had reported in October that the residents of Bandra have expressed dismay over the recent beautification work at the 17th century heritage Castella De Aguada, commonly known as Bandra Fort and the Fort Garden.
Local residents and environmentalists had lamented that the revamp work is in direct violation of the law that prohibits removing, altering and defacing any protected monument.
While the citizens complained about extensive concretisation inside the Fort garden after it was opened up for visitors following a two-year repair work, the citizens also alleged that the protected fort is being rectified under the guise of conservation work.
Inspection to be held on conservation work at Bandra Fort after concerns over alterations and concretisation
While these citizens had written to the BMC Commissioner to complain about concretisation in garden, they also wrote to the archaeology department, which is carrying out the conservation work at Bandra Fort.
In a letter to Archaeology Director Maharashtra and the Assistant Director of Archaeology department’s Ratnagiri division, residents had raised concerns over the removal of heritage arch at the entrance of fort, re-plastering of the entire fort and multi-coloured cement filling inside the stone rocks.
The letter also highlighted that the conservation work was rectifying the fort by increasing the height of the parapet wall of the deck area, changing the heights and design of the walls and digging up of the fort to lay wires and lighting poles.
Inspection to be held on conservation work at Bandra Fort after concerns over alterations and concretisation
In reply to the letter signed by over 40 people, Ratnagiri Division’s assistant director of archaeology Dr. Vilas Vahane wrote back to the residents. The letter stated that the archeology department is replacing the RRC beam of the heritage arch with the original stone beam, while the replastering is being carried out by lime plaster by replacing the earlier cement plaster. The official also claimed that the department is not using cement in the conservation work.
However, the archaeology official expressed his wish to meet the citizens and explain the site management plan while the conservation work is in progress. While the citizens demanded a joint inspection from the archaeology department and the BMC’s heritage department, the assistant archaology director in an email written to the citizens on Tuesday, said, “The date and time for inspecting the preservation and conservation work of the Bandra Fort monument will be informed by the office.”
Zoru Bathena, an environment activist and one of the signatories of the letter, said, “The contract issued by the archaeology department says that the conservation work includes basic repair but they are redesigning the entire fort by breaking parts and redoing it. The archaeology department claims that they do not need any any permission from the BMC’s heritage department but this cannot be exempted. All the heritage properties in the jurisdiction of BMC needs permission from the corporation as well.”
