GUWAHATI, June 1 � The National Monuments Authority has recommended grant of permission to the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) for undertaking construction of the ambitious Guwahati-North Guwahati passenger ropeway over the Brahmaputra river with its trestle number T-3 in Umananda island, within the regulated area of the archaeological monuments of the Urvasi Island, near the Kamrup (Metro) Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office at Panbazar. The monuments of the Urvasi Island are of national importance and they are protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
According to information available with this newspaper, the National Monuments Authority took the above decision on the second day of its 121st meeting held on April 10 last. This decision of the National Monuments Authority is believed to have removed a major hurdle in executing the Ropeway Project.
The GMDA had sought no-objection certificate (NOC) from the National Monuments Authority for reconstruction of a trestle foundation outside the Urvasi Island regulated area and erection of trestle number T-3 within the regulated area of the Urvasi Island with a total height of 44 metres for the purpose of construction of the ropeway.
It needs mention here that a trestle (T-2) near the Urvasi Island erected earlier for the purpose of constructing the ropeway got itself tilted due to some technical problems, which necessitated reconstruction of the trestle foundation (for T-2). The construction of the tilted trestle had led to some controversies resulting from the alleged failure of the GMDA to secure permission from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for its construction, as it was very close to the protected Urvasi Island monuments.
Moreover, on February 18, 2015, the Superintending Archaeologist of the Guwahati ASI Circle, stated in a letter to the State Archaeology Director that a joint inspection conducted by the ASI, State Archaeology Directorate and the GMDA officials found that the metal ropes of the ropeway would pass from a distance of 60.43 metres from the nearest sculpture of Urvasi Island and 16.51 metres from the lime concrete water marker pillar of the British period adjacent to Urvasi Island. So, the question of damage to the monument in the event of accident does not arise, he said.
The Superintending Archaeologist also maintained that the GMDA has relocated the pillar (T-2) well beyond 300 metres of the Urvasi Island. So the ASI�s objection raised earlier during the time of erection of the jack to rectify the tilt in the trestle (T-2) near the Urvasi Island has been addressed.
About a couple of years back, oppositions were voiced against the ropeway project also because of the installation of one of its trestles (T-3) in the Umananda Island, which is also an archaeologically important site. But, since it is yet to be notified as a protected archaeological site, it has remained a Government-owned area and the civil administration itself can handle the matters related with this island.
The then Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro) Ashutosh Agnihotri issued an NOC to the GMDA on March 31, 2014, stating, �The Government has no objection to the construction of foundation for a ropeway trestle at Umananda Island by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority.� But the island�s location remained within the regulated area of the protected monuments of Urvasi Island, necessitating the National Monuments Authority�s clearance.
GUWAHATI, June 1 � The National Monuments Authority has recommended grant of permission to the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) for undertaking construction of the ambitious Guwahati-North Guwahati passenger ropeway over the Brahmaputra river with its trestle number T-3 in Umananda island, within the regulated area of the archaeological monuments of the Urvasi Island, near the Kamrup (Metro) Deputy Commissioner's (DC) office at Panbazar. The monuments of the Urvasi Island are of national importance and they are protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
According to information available with this newspaper, the National Monuments Authority took the above decision on the second day of its 121st meeting held on April 10 last. This decision of the National Monuments Authority is believed to have removed a major hurdle in executing the Ropeway Project.
The GMDA had sought no-objection certificate (NOC) from the National Monuments Authority for reconstruction of a trestle foundation outside the Urvasi Island regulated area and erection of trestle number T-3 within the regulated area of the Urvasi Island with a total height of 44 metres for the purpose of construction of the ropeway.
It needs mention here that a trestle (T-2) near the Urvasi Island erected earlier for the purpose of constructing the ropeway got itself tilted due to some technical problems, which necessitated reconstruction of the trestle foundation (for T-2). The construction of the tilted trestle had led to some controversies resulting from the alleged failure of the GMDA to secure permission from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for its construction, as it was very close to the protected Urvasi Island monuments.
Moreover, on February 18, 2015, the Superintending Archaeologist of the Guwahati ASI Circle, stated in a letter to the State Archaeology Director that a joint inspection conducted by the ASI, State Archaeology Directorate and the GMDA officials found that the metal ropes of the ropeway would pass from a distance of 60.43 metres from the nearest sculpture of Urvasi Island and 16.51 metres from the lime concrete water marker pillar of the British period adjacent to Urvasi Island. So, the question of damage to the monument in the event of accident does not arise, he said.
The Superintending Archaeologist also maintained that the GMDA has relocated the pillar (T-2) well beyond 300 metres of the Urvasi Island. So the ASI�s objection raised earlier during the time of erection of the jack to rectify the tilt in the trestle (T-2) near the Urvasi Island has been addressed.
About a couple of years back, oppositions were voiced against the ropeway project also because of the installation of one of its trestles (T-3) in the Umananda Island, which is also an archaeologically important site. But, since it is yet to be notified as a protected archaeological site, it has remained a Government-owned area and the civil administration itself can handle the matters related with this island.
The then Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro) Ashutosh Agnihotri issued an NOC to the GMDA on March 31, 2014, stating, �The Government has no objection to the construction of foundation for a ropeway trestle at Umananda Island by the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority.� But the island�s location remained within the regulated area of the protected monuments of Urvasi Island, necessitating the National Monuments Authority�s clearance.
