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UNESCO team's visit to Hampi begins today

By Our Staff Correspondent

A view of the World Heritage Site of Hampi.

BELLARY MAY 2. The three-day visit of the two-member team from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to the world famous Hampi from tomorrow is considered to be crucial, as it will decide whether or not to retain the place in the list of "World Heritage Sites in Danger''.

This is the first time that the UNESCO team, comprising Manja Yang, Deputy Director, and Paul Trowload, architect, is visiting Hampi after the State Government constituted the Hampi World Heritage Site Management Authority to initiate measures to preserve, conserve, and develop the heritage site.

For the third year in succession, the World Heritage Committee, which is part of the UNESCO, has placed Hampi in the list of "World Heritage Sites in Danger". Earlier, the UNESCO raised objections to the construction of two bridges across the Tungabhadra at Hampi — a footbridge adjacent to the Virupaksha Temple linking Hampi and Virpapur Gadda (an island), and a two-way cable-stayed bridge near Talwarghata linking Anegundi, which is said to be the "cradle of the Vijayanagar Empire". It also expressed concern over the large-scale encroachment at the heritage site. The UNESCO, besides including Hampi in the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, said it would remove Hampi from the list of World Heritage Sites, if the State Government failed to remove the threats to the monuments.

The Government's response to the objections raised by the UNESCO was immediate, and it got the pylons erected for the construction of the footbridge demolished. However, it is yet to decide on the cable-stayed bridge, which is nearing completion. The laying of the concrete girders in the middle of the bridge has been suspended. An estimated Rs. 3.5 crore has been spent on the bridgework.

The Hampi World Heritage Site Management Authority, with the Deputy Commissioner of Bellary as its Chairman, and a State-level Advisory Committee for the coordinated development of the heritage site were formed after the UNESCO expressed concern over the dangers to the heritage site.

The authority, which was established early last year, has entrusted the task of preparing a comprehensive master plan for the preservation, conservation, and development of the Hampi heritage site to INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art, Culture, and Heritage), and begun implementing a "mini-plan" prepared by it.

The fields surrounding some of the important monuments have been acquired, and steps were taken to conserve and preserve the ancient monuments, and provide facilities for tourists.

``The spadework has already been done with regard to preserving and developing the world heritage site. Remedial measures have also begun, and they will be implemented in phases," Javed Akthar, Bellary Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the authority, says.

"Providing infrastructure, including a facilitation centre and toilets, cleaning the surroundings of the monuments and the river banks, fencing, and illumination of monuments are being taken up,'' he adds.

The World Heritage Committee, at its 26th session in Budapest in July last, decided to retain Hampi in the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. However, it commended the Union and State governments for establishing the Hampi World Heritage Site Management Authority to ensure effective coordination of conservation and development programmes. It intends to encourage the authorities concerned to continue their efforts for the formulation of a comprehensive management plan, and requested the World Heritage Centre to continue cooperating with the authorities and help in the mobilisation of resources and finalisation of a comprehensive management plan.

The committee sought reports on the progress in removing the threats to the heritage site and on the state of conservation of the site for examination at its 27th session to be held in June or July this year.

Meanwhile, there are reports that the Government may complete the cable-stayed bridge. The plan to resume work appears to have been made in the wake of the reported suggestion of Kammeir, a representative of the UNESCO, to divert a road to ensure that the movement of vehicles does not affect the ancient monuments.

According to Vasundhara Philliozat, a historian of Karnataka origin who has settled in Paris, the UNESCO has not given permission to complete the bridge.

The reaction of the UNESCO to the developments at Hampi is awaited.

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