Kalahandi’s asurgarh on road to destruction!

Expressbuzz, May 4, 2011
Uma Shankar Kar

BHAWANIPATNA: History lovers and academia have resented the damage caused to historical Asurgarh site near Narla of Kalahandi district due to construction of an MGNREGS road inside the protected central Asurgarh fort. They have also questioned the silence of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) entrusted with the task to protect the monument.


Asurgarh fort dates back to 4th century BC. Different antiquities, structures, coins and beads were excavated from the site. Though in 1973, the site was declared a protected site under the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Monuments Act, 1958, full-scale excavation and preservation of monuments are yet to be done.

The ASI is sitting pretty by posting three guards and putting out a notice board declaring it a protected site and monument. In course of time Asurgarh fort and the archeologically rich vicinity faced damage due to increased agricultural activities, human habitation and other development works like road construction and frequent visits by treasure hunters.

To add to the miseries, recently a road has been laid in the middle of the fort connecting eastern and western gates under MGNREGS by Asurgarh gram panchayat with an estimated cost of Rs 5 lakh. The work entailed digging of long trenches inside the fort.

The action plan for the work was approved in 2010-11 by Narla block and execution done by the gram panchayat. Two-foot deep and 50-meter wide trenches have been dug on either side of the road up to a length of about 200 metre to collect soil for the construction of the road.

As a result potteries, tiles, bricks, terracotta and other artefacts are lying scattered. Plinth of a brick structure has also become vulnerable in the process.

It is learnt that the gram panchayat concerned has sent only a formal letter to the ASI, Bhubaneswar circle, seeking permission for the construction but it is yet to be obtained. The work is on despite the fact that construction is prohibited in the protected site without permission of ASI and any violation attracts penal action. ASI has also failed to take serious note of the violation.

ASI should take early steps for large-scale horizontal excavation, protection of the site and construction of an archeological park and museum at Asurgarh which will be developed into a tourist draw, locals demanded.