Bhubaneswar: The National Monuments Authority (NMA) after considering the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Ekamra Conservation Plan, Bhubaneswar by Odisha Bridge & Construction Corporation (OBCC) in March this year has recommended the execution of works at different locations in the prohibited area relating to various components as public amenities that do not come under the definition of construction as per Section 2(dc) of AMASR Act, 1958.
The NMA has allowed the execution of (i) Outer Access Road (OAR) including East OAR: Kotiteertheswara Lane – Y Junction, South OAR, West OAR (Rath Road): Tinimundia Chhak -Badhai Banka Junction, (ii) Pedestrian Connect including Bindusagar Pedestrian Linkages: South Linkage (Kotiteertheswara Lane -Sitala Sasthi and Taleswar Chhak to Kedar Gauri Temple, (iii) Parking including Lingaraj Multimodal Hub, Kedargauri Parking and special reserved parking, (iv) Lingaraj Entrance Plaza, (v) Heritage Park (Earlier proposed as Cultural Plaza), (vi) Kedargauri Plaza, (vii) Anant Vasudev Plaza, (viii) Lingaraj Haat (ix) Bhajan Mandap.
The NMA has, however, recommended that these works may be executed under the supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to mitigate any adverse impact to the protected monuments.
The NMA has recommended that with regard to repair/renovation works of existing structures proposed for information and controlled centre, OBCC may submit a separate ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) through the Competent Authority for consideration in terms of Rule 8 of AMASR (Competent Authority) Rules, 2011.
The NMA has recommended shifting the Roshaghara (kitchen) located within the protected monument of Anant Vasudev Temple to an appropriate location preferably in the regulated area to mitigate the adverse impact on the protected monument.
Besides, the NMA has recommended that an alternate alignment for the road widening between Makareswar Temple and Papanasini Tank may be proposed by the applicant in consultation with ASI to minimize the adverse impact on the protected monuments.
The NMA has further, recommended that all excavation
works proposed to be carried out as part of the development project may be undertaken under the supervision of ASI in the interest of the safety of any archaeological remains or artefacts that may be unearthed.
The development of Sari Deula may not be taken up until archaeological investigations are completed by ASI, the NMA added.
The NMA stipulated the following general conditions for compliance, as far as possible, while executing the development works : (i) All new structures proposed to be constructed should be non-intrusive and devoid of any heavy architecture (ii) All new structures proposed to be constructed may be temporary structures wherever feasible. (iii) Locally available building material should be used in the construction work for harmony with the existing landscape (iv) Use of heavy machinery for digging work should be avoided to mitigate adverse impact on account of vibration on the protected monuments. (v) The digging work should be executed manually or with the help of light machinery under the supervision of ASI.
The recommendations were made after detailed discussions at the 361 NOC meeting of NMA held on September 9 in Delhi.
