Delhi: Construction waste, debris cleared from around Defence Colony gumti
A tarp lay over the dome on Friday. The official added that work on the dome will be finalised only after the monsoon season
A day after the Supreme Court pulled up the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) over the poor upkeep of the Lodhi-era Gumti of Shaikh Ali in Defence Colony, south Delhi, a spot visit by HT on Friday revealed that much of the construction waste and debris near the monument had been cleared.
The gumti structure was cleared of the unauthorised occupation by the local residents’ welfare association (RWA) on court orders. The peripheral area of the monument, which had been occupied by MCD, was also cleared.
“There was a lot of construction waste piled around the structure even on Thursday. After the court pulled up MCD, there were people working late in the evening on Thursday and they cleared out majority of the debris,” said Bhavreen Kandhari, a resident of Defence Colony and an environmental activist.
“Of course, two months’ worth of work cannot be completed overnight and there is still so much to be done. For example, the drainage system needs to be fixed as water gets clogged after a spell of rain and the lands that MCD has vacated need to be levelled out but hopefully, all that will be done when the next phase of redevelopment here starts,” Kandhari added.
Meanwhile, the restoration work of the Gumti of Shaikh Ali was still ongoing. The structure has been handed over to Delhi government’s archaeology department for restoration.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, the restoration work of the Gumti of Shaikh Ali was still ongoing. The structure has been handed over to Delhi government’s archaeology department for restoration.
{{/usCountry}}An official at the site said, “The walls and the floor have been somewhat restored. A mixture of lime, urad dal, bel paani, gur and surkhi is being used to restore the walls where they have been damaged. Work has also been done on the dome as well.”
{{/usCountry}}An official at the site said, “The walls and the floor have been somewhat restored. A mixture of lime, urad dal, bel paani, gur and surkhi is being used to restore the walls where they have been damaged. Work has also been done on the dome as well.”
{{/usCountry}}A tarp lay over the dome on Friday. The official added that work on the dome will be finalised only after the monsoon season.
{{/usCountry}}A tarp lay over the dome on Friday. The official added that work on the dome will be finalised only after the monsoon season.
{{/usCountry}}MCD officials did not respond to HT’s request for a comment.
{{/usCountry}}MCD officials did not respond to HT’s request for a comment.
{{/usCountry}}