The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed senior officials from multiple government bodies to appear before it on October 15 after expressing serious concern over poor coordination in the preservation and maintenance of heritage monuments in Delhi.
A bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N Kotiswar Singh said there was an “absolute lack of cohesion” among the authorities responsible for protecting the monuments and indicated that stricter orders may follow if the situation does not improve.
The Court summoned the secretary of the Union Ministry of Culture, the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India, the vice chairman of the Delhi Development Authority and the secretary of the Delhi government’s Department of Archaeology, among other officials.
The bench said their presence was required so that a coordinated team could be formed. It also impleaded the Ministry of Culture as a respondent in the proceedings.
Court Flags Lack Of Coordination
The matter concerns the preservation and upkeep of several heritage structures in the national capital.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who is serving as court commissioner in the case, submitted a report on the condition of the monuments. After considering the report, the bench said the departments concerned had failed to appreciate the seriousness of the issue.
The Court observed that the stage had been reached where drastic action and strict directions might be necessary. However, it said it was giving the authorities one final opportunity and was, for the time being, refraining from passing stringent orders.
MCD Questioned Over Lal Mahal
During the hearing, Sankaranarayanan drew the Court’s attention to the condition of Lal Mahal, a 13th-century palace in Nizamuddin, which he described as possibly one of Delhi’s oldest palaces.
After being informed that the area fell under the MCD, the bench questioned the corporation’s counsel. The MCD lawyer said the corporation had been unable to determine that the land was under its jurisdiction.
The bench strongly criticised the response, saying the corporation had been casual and appeared unconcerned about areas falling within its responsibility. The MCD told the Court that it would file an affidavit on the issue.
ASI Pulled Up Over Heritage Protection
The bench also considered encroachments at Lodhi-era tombs in the Zamrudpur area of south Delhi and questioned the ASI over its efforts to protect and preserve heritage structures.
The Court said there appeared to be no seriousness on the part of the ASI.
A senior ASI official informed the bench that the agency was responsible for maintaining more than 4,000 monuments across the country. The Court then asked whether the ASI had formally sought additional manpower from the government.
The case will next be taken up on October 15, when the senior officials directed by the Court are required to remain present.
In August, the Supreme Court had also expressed serious concern over the condition of heritage monuments in Delhi and criticised the MCD and ASI for what it described as “total callousness” and suppression of facts. Those observations followed reports about the poor condition of and extensive encroachments around Lodhi-era tombs in Zamrudpur.
