Section 144 imposed to protect Buddhist sites
KENDRAPADA: Prohibitory orders under section 144 of CRPC were imposed at Udayagiri hillock recently to prevent rampant illegal quarrying, threatening famous Buddhist sites in the area under Jajpur district.
"Buddhist monuments in Udayagiri, declared protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, are under threat, thanks to illegal quarrying activities in close proximity of the protected site. The authority promulgated prohibitory orders to put a stop to the practice. We have also directed police to guard the Udayagiri hillock," said Darpani tahasildar Amiya Kumar Sahoo.
A Vajrayana centre during the 8th and 9th century AD, Udaygiri is home to remains of several stupas, one of them, the Dhyani Buddha, boasting descriptions in Vajrayana text, the official said.
"Even as a Central directive banned such activities within 5 km radius of any protected monument, there has been indiscriminate onslaught on the remains of various stupas here under the pretext of permits issued by the local administration," said an official of Archeological Survey of India (ASI).
"The contractors, in connivance with government officials, have been illegally lifting stones and morrum from the hillocks," seconded Pradip Bhuyan, vice-president of Buddhayan, an organization which works for the protection of Buddhist sites in the state.
"Each day about 50-70 trucks carry stones and morrum from the Udayagiri hill," he said, adding due to such illegal activity under the very nose of the authorities, the southern portion of the hill is now on the verge of collapse.
Buddhist sites at Sukhuapada, another prohibited area near Lalitagiri, have also been facing the onslaught of quarry workers. Likewise, Landa hillock, also under ASI protection, is being ravaged too, Bhuyan said.
The tragedy is compounded by the fact that the famous Buddhist sites at Lalitagiri, Udayagiri and Ratnagiri in the state are fit to get the status of World Heritage Sites like Sun Temple of Konark, but the chances are being hampered by the large scale quarrying near the hillocks, an ASI official said.
Several ancient Buddhist monasteries in the region are also being threatened by illegal quarrying, he added, lamenting the lacunae in preserving the natural environment of the Buddhist monasteries so that they can be awarded the status of World Heritage Sites.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Section-144-imposed-to-protect-Buddhist-sites/articleshow/9328880.cms
Illegal quarrying poses danger to Jajpur Buddhist sites
ReplyDeleteJune 22, 2011 12:00:00 AM
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Rampant illegal quarrying and violation of the court order at Lalitagiri, Udayagiri, Sukhuapada and Landa hillocks here in the district have been posing serious danger to the ancient Buddhist sites.
“The contractors in connivance with the Government officials have been illegally lifting stones and morrum from the hillocks. The road-widening work, 80-km-long along the NH-5(A) from Chandikhola to Paradip, has been going on for the last five years and the contractors supply morrum to the Hindustan Construction Company entrusted with the road works,” alleged Buddhayan vice-president Pradeep Bhuyan.
The High Court had banned lifting of stones by the contractors from the hillocks three years back after hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Buddhayan, Bhuyan informed, adding such an illegal activity is rampant under the very nose of the authorities following which the southern portion of the hill is now on the verge of collapse.
“Each day, about 50-70 trucks carry stones and morrum from the Lalitagiri hill,” Bhuyan further alleged.
The other Buddhist sites at Sukhuapada near Lalitagiri and the hillocks near Udayagiri have also been facing the onslaught of axes and spades of the quarry workers as every day many trucks transport stones, boulders, stone-chips and morrum from the hill while illegal quarrying has been going on in Sukhuapada even within the prohibited area, he added.
The protected Landa hillock is also not free from the onslaught of the stone-suppliers as they have also been cutting stones from the bottom of the hill though the hill is now under the protection of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), informed Bhuyan.
Notably, the Lalitigiri hillock is famous for the discovery of several Buddha idols, a Stupa and three Buddhist monasteries where the Buddhist monks used to stay and worship.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/323195/Illegal-quarrying-poses-danger-to-Jajpur-Buddhist-sites.html