With no signage,monuments pushed to obscurity

Even as the Archaeological Survey of India has provided these structures a protected status,the structures stand in obscurity with no signboards to identify them — let alone describe their historical significance. What the monuments do have are blue signboards,where the ASI claims the structures as its property.

Regular visitors to the park have worked out their own names. A group of young boys playing near the Shakri Gumti said they call the monument ‘Tumbak Park’.

Green Park,however,is not the sole example of unidentified monuments. Be it the Subz Burj in Nizamuddin or the Khairul Manzil opposite Purana Qila,most heritage structures despite being among the list of ‘protected monuments’ have no signage.

ASI officials,meanwhile,cite lack of funds as the reason behind the oversight. “Despite getting the status of protected monuments,most of them have been lying in neglect due to paucity of funds. Earlier,the fund allocation was around Rs 2 crore for a year for the Delhi circle,which was lately increased to Rs 3 crore. Under this,174 monuments have to be maintained,leaving a paltry sum for each of them,” a senior ASI official said. “Only those monuments which are prominent and frequently visited are in focus and taken care off.”

With the Commonwealth Games round the corner,the ASI has been sanctioned Rs 25 crore to spruce up 46 monuments that fall on the route of the Games venues.

“Due to this at least the 46 chosen monuments will get a proper facelift and also new signboards to determine their names and also historical significance and background. Contracts for developing the signages have already been given out to three agencies,” the official said.

Other monuments,meanwhile,will have to wait. “As of now the focus is on these 46 monuments and there is already a lot of work to be done on them. Once the Games are over,we will take up the others in a phases,” a senior ASI official said.