The Hindu 24.01.2011
Sewage treatment plant runs into rough weather
ASI finds that the plant comes under prohibited area
A sewage treatment plant proposed by Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board near archaeologically important Sisupalgarh on the outskirt of the capital city seems to have run into rough weather.
The Archaeological Survey of India, Bhubaneswar Circle, found after inspection that the proposed sewage treatment plant and its ancillary units were coming under the prohibited area.
“Proposed construction falls within the prohibited area and regulated area of ASI monuments for which the permission is required under Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010,” ASI superintending Archaeologist A. K. Patel said in his letter addressed to member-secretary of OWS&SB.
Mr. Patel asked the board to send a complete proposal to a competent authority in view of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010 before taking up construction activities.
When contacted Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board member secretary Dillip Padhi said the board had sought land from the State government and it would go ahead with the project once the land was handed over to it. He, however, refused to comment on the project being positioned in the proximity of a prohibited zone.
Report
In a report submitted to Housing and Urban Development Secretary earlier, Mr. Padhi, however, said the proposed sewage treatment plant at village Basuaghai was over an area of 23.882 acres which was far away from the prohibited or restricted zone of Sisupalgarh, Megheswar temple and Brahmeswar temple. “The site is approximately one km from the Sisupalgarh and Megheswar temple.”
The Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board said the proposed sewage treatment plant would in no way affect the heritage site. With the board and Archaeological Survey of India holding different views on location of sewage treatment plant, activists fighting for preserving ancient monuments demanded review of the project.
Sisupalgarh is known as an ancient city situated on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Researchers during recent excavation have come across a number of artefacts and structures that throw light on the existence of a flourishing urban life during the pre-historic period.
