Fresh hope for Krishnadevaraya's capital

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"S. Kalyanaraman" <kalyan97> wrote:

Friday, Apr 28, 2006

*Fresh hope for Krishnadevaraya's Capital *

Mandira Nayar

NEW DELHI: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is hoping to

get Hampi

in Karnataka off the list of UNESCO World Heritage in Danger within

a year.

With Union Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni visiting Hampi

this

Friday along with UNESCO representatives to talk to all the

stakeholders in

the project and review the measures taken, officials believe it will

bring

them one step closer to achieving this aim.

An important historic site -- the last Capital of the last great

Hindu

kingdom of Vijaynagar -- Hampi had been put on the endangered list

in 1999

because two suspension bridges were being built, which threatened

the World

Heritage site's integrity by bringing in heavy traffic.

However, six years and numerous international missions later, ASI

officials

believe that they have found an acceptable solution to the problems.

"UNESCO was worried that there would been greater urbanisation to

the entire

side due to the two bridges that were being built over Tungabhadra.

The

suggestions made by them in various missions have been noted. The

design of

the bridge has been changed. The by-pass road has also been moved

away from

the site, as well as traffic restrictions will be put in," said ASI

Director-General C. Babu Rajeev.

A management plan for Hampi, which has been drawn up with help of

experts in

the field, has also been drawn up and is being implemented. But

conservationists believe that while progress has been made, there is

still a

long way to go and it might be too early to celebrate just as yet.

With important issues brought up by UNESCO officials like inadequate

protection of heritage resources, poor new architecture that has

sprung up

around the site as well as questions about uncontrolled development,

still

to be dealt in a comprehensive way, the focus of the ASI should be

to ensure

that management plan is fully working feel conservationists.

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