Expert team visits Rang Ghar; to submit report after discussion
>From our Correspondent
JOYSAGAR, March 17: A team of experts, appointed by the State Government,
visited the Rang Ghar yesterday to find out about the cracks appearing at the
historic Rang Ghar at Joysagar near Sivasagar, allegedly due to high-intensity
seismic survey conducted by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in its
adjoining areas.
The team also visited the exploration sites and a few houses where cracks have
appeared. The expert team included retired head, department of History, Gauhati
University, Jogendra Nath Phukan, Director, Archaeological department, Asom,
Hemendranath Dutta, Assistant Superintending Engineer, Archaeological Survey of
India, D Roy, and Executive Engineer, PWD (Buildings), Alokesh Sarma. Cracks at
the 300-year-old monument, the oldest amphitheatre in Asia, was brought to the
spotlight last month when local residents raised a hue and cry over the seismic
survey conducted by the oil major, which, they alleged has also resulted in
cracks in many houses of the area.
Top officials of the ASI, which is responsible for preservation and maintenance
of the historical monument, rushed to Sivasagar after reports of the cracks
appeared in the media. Speaking to The Sentinel, Sanjay Manjul, Superintending
Archeologist, ASI, North-east Zone, said that they are keeping a close watch on
the monument after receiving complaints about the cracks.
We have installed small pieces of glass at the cracks to verify whether the
cracks are still widening. Any further widening of the cracks will lead to the
breakage of the glass pieces, he said.
Manjul also said that he has already dispatched letters to the ONGC and the
District Administration for initiating steps to stop seismic activities in the
area. He also admitted that the ASI could do nothing about the seismic
activities since the ONGC surveys are being conducted at about 2 km from the
monument.
Under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and
Remains Act, 1952 and Rules, 1959, any activity within 300 metre of an
ASI-protected monument is prohibited, he added.
Local residents have alleged that the ONGC is carrying out the explosions far
above the permissible 60-feet limit, for which the overground vibrations are
very intense, leading to damages in residential buildings and other structures,
including the Rang Ghar.
The team had hands-on experience about the cracks and spoke to the local
residents about the cracks appearing at the houses of the area. They also
interacted with representatives of various organizations and district
administration officials. The team will submit its report after a discussion at
Guwahati, sources said.
(THE SENTINEL,18 March 2008)
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