Fear over proposed tourist centre close to Buddhist site in AP

A.P. declared it protected monument

The ancient Buddhist site at Thotlakonda near Visakhapatnam.

The inauguration earlier this month of a plaque and the laying of a foundation stone for the construction of a tourist amenities centre close to the second century BCE Buddhist site at Thotlakonda in Visakhapatnam, has worried heritage conservationists and members of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The proposed centre includes an amphitheatre, rest rooms and information centre.

Experts point out that the buildings will not only mar the original heritage site but are also against norms laid down by the courts.

Protected area

The Thotlakonda site was first discovered by a helicopter pilot of the Eastern Naval Command in 1976during a sortie. In 1978, the A.P. government through a GO, declared the entire site of 3148.45 acres under Mangamaripeta village a protected monument. Later, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) demarcated about seven acres consisting of the stupa area as the core area and fenced it. The agency also fenced another 120 acres as protected area.

The conservationists contend that the new buildings are not only coming up within the protected 120 acres but just about 40 metres from the core area.

In 2016, the AP High Court had passed an order stating that ‘Pending further orders, no construction or development activity of any sort shall be permitted within the boundaries of the ancient site of Thotlakonda as detailed in the GO 627 of 1978.” According to Mr. Edward Paul of INTACH, the court order clearly indicates that no construction activity should be taken up on the entire hill, as it is declared as protected area. “We want tourism to develop, but not at the cost of destruction of protected areas,” he said, adding that the organisation had no objections to construction beyond the protected area. District Tourism Officer R Poornima Devi, however, said there have been no violations and the construction activity is being taken up 100 metres from the core area.

Ms Mayank Devi of INTACH said even this violated norms laid down by the courts.

As per a Supreme Court judgement in regard to the Jantar Mantar case in New Delhi in 2006, a distance of 100 metres has to be counted from the outer boundary wall of the monument which has protected area of 5.39 acres and not just the physical structures of the observatory, pointed out Mr. Paul.

Incidentally, the government had built an extensive, fully equipped information centre in 2006 within the protected 120 acres. However, it was never inaugurated and the vacant building has become the haunt of anti-socials.

P.V. Prasad, convenor of INTACH’s Vizag Chapter, questioned the need for yet another information centre. “It appears that the government has to spend the funds somehow rather than doing it in a planned manner,” he said adding that the proposed buildings could be built down hill or beyond the protected areas.

The Centre has sanctioned around ₹52.34 crore for the Buddhist circuit in AP under the ‘Swadesh Darshan’ programme, and about ₹20 crore have been earmarked for Thotlakonda, Bavikonda and Bojjannakonda in Visakhapatnam district. In the allocation, Thotlakonda gets the kings share of around ₹10 crore.

However, District Tourism Officer Ms. Poornima pointed out that there has been no violations and the construction activity is being taken up 100 mts from the core area.Mr. Venkat Rao of ASI said the agency had received a representation against the new constructions and a decision on permitting them will be taken soon.