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Wednesday, May 19, 2010
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Norms for protection of monuments tightened

Staff Reporter

The interiors of the Jewish synagogue at Mattancherry, which is a heritage structure.

KOCHI: The punishment for any construction or activity that affects a heritage structure in any way was recently increased to two years' imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine, or both, M. Nambirajan, Superintending Archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India, has said.

This apart, a National Monument Authority armed with wide-ranging powers would soon be created. The government and its agencies would have to seek its permission before executing projects in the vicinity of any monument, he said, at a seminar organised here on Tuesday by the ASI in connection with International Museum Day. “These measures should deter individuals and others who violate well-established norms on protecting these structures. Sadly, even civic agencies that are duty-bound to protect these buildings indulge in blatant rule violations. A case in point is the construction activity that was on at the Mattancherry Park, very near to the Dutch Palace, despite the ASI objecting to it. The High Court stayed the construction.”

Mr Nambirajan said that constructions have been banned within a 100-metre radius of all monuments. Any structure within 100 m to 200 m range would be bound by regulations. The ASI has planned awareness programmes so that members of the public are vigilant about rule violations that would affect monuments. “They can approach us and we will take up the matter with the State government, district administration or local bodies,” he said.

In his address, K.J. Sohan, former Mayor and convenor of the Kerala Chapter of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage), said that a preliminary project report on maintaining Mattancherry and Fort Kochi as living heritage sites is awaiting official nod from UNESCO.

Expressing concern at the Corporation of Cochin building shops at the Mattancherry Park in violation of heritage norms, he said that civic agencies must take the lead in protecting heritage buildings, many of which are being pulled down/altered by commercial interests.

The others who spoke were the Director of Kannada Research Institute, R.M. Shadakshariah.

The head of the Archaeology Department, University of Kerala, Ajith Kumar spoke on ‘An overview of pre-Iron Age and Iron Age cultural remains in Kerala'.

The Joint Director General of ASI, Pratap Singh and Kalimuthu M., Assistant Superintending Archaeologist too were present. Later, the reorganised galleries in the Dutch Palace cum Museum, Mattancherry, were thrown open to visitors.

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