Highlighting a “dire need” for the protection of thousands of historic buildings, the Allahabad High Court has sought a detailed response from both the Union and Uttar Pradesh governments regarding the dilapidated condition of heritage sites across the state.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra issued notices to several key authorities, including the Union Ministries of Culture, Tourism, and Housing and Urban Affairs, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the National Monuments Authority, and the State Archaeology Department. The court has directed these departments to file their responses within eight weeks.
The court’s intervention follows a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Akash Vashishtha. The petition brings to light a staggering disparity between the number of recognized heritage structures in Uttar Pradesh and those currently under official protection.
Citing data from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), the petitioner informed the court that while there are 5,416 identified heritage and historic buildings across Uttar Pradesh, a mere 421 are officially protected. Of these:
- 212 are under the Uttar Pradesh State Archaeology Department.
- 154 are managed by ASI Agra.
- 55 are managed by ASI Lucknow.
The petition warns that the remaining 4,995 ancient structures are “in a shambles and on the verge of complete disappearance” due to the “abject failure” of public authorities to implement preservation mandates.
The PIL specifically highlighted the deteriorating state of heritage structures in historically significant regions, including Jhansi, Vrindavan, Agra, Lucknow, and Hastinapur.
The petitioner argued that under the Ancient Monuments Act, both state and central governments are legally mandated to protect these structures, regardless of whether they are currently “abandoned” or “unprotected.”
“Assuming that a structure is protected but encroached, even then the encroachments are to be removed, and the monument is to be protected,” the petition stated, emphasizing that many temples, havelis, ghats, and sarais over 100 years old currently fall entirely outside any protection regime.
The petition contends that the lack of proposals from the State Archaeology Department or the ASI to include these 100-year-old structures in the protection list has left priceless cultural assets vulnerable.
By issuing these notices, the Allahabad High Court has set an eight-week deadline for the authorities to explain their failure to preserve these sites and to outline future steps for the conservation of Uttar Pradesh’s vast cultural landscape.
