Safdarjung Tomb needs urgent care due to damage from weeds: Irfan Habib

Conservation work going on. It was stopped due to lockdown, says ASI

The Safdar Jung Tomb has developed cracks, with weed growing all over it

Weeds growing on the dome of Safdarjung Tomb had damaged the monument which required urgent care from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), historian S. Irfan Habib said on September 18.

Sharing a photo of the 18th Century monument taken earlier this week, Mr. Habib said in a tweet the “dome has developed cracks, with weeds growing all over it”. Later he told The Hindu that the ASI had neglected several monuments. He said weeds tended to grow during the monsoon but it was vital to clear them soon as they could lead to cracks.

Asked to respond to Mr. Habib’s assertion, an ASI spokesperson said: “The ASI is aware of the damages and the remaining portion of repairs will soon start as per our team’s assessment. Conservation work at monuments is a round-the-year job and presently also the work is going on, but due to the rain in Delhi it got a bit delayed.”

The spokesperson said repair and conservation work at the monument was ongoing in 2019-2020, but was stopped due to the lockdown and shortage of workers caused by the pandemic.

“There is no damage. Only grass has come up on the dome which needs to be cleaned,”