Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 18: SEARCH (Saving Environment & Activism for Restoration of Culture & Heritage) a Jammu based NGO, has written to Director Archives, Archeology and Museums to enlist Purmandal and other neglected structures as Protected Heritage sites.
In its letter to the Director Archives, Archeology and Museums, the NGO said still there are several monuments and structures that are waiting for someone to discover them or provide them the deserved care, protection, conservation or even restoration.
“Any building or structure will decay because of aging. But the great buildings, which by virtue of their original characteristics, design and engineering excellence have phenomenal potential to withstand the test of time. But they need care. The most common threat to these old structures is the growth of vegetation which slowly and steadily damages the structures, if not taken care of. The most visible example is the Samba Fort, where the main wall is splitting due to growth of a tree,” the NGO said.
SEARCH said that Purmandal precinct should be included in the list of Protected Monuments, as Purmandal has all the three aspects– built heritage, cultural history and natural heritage in the form of Devika River which need utmost care and protection.
The experts’ team of the NGO visited Purmandal and is actively bringing to the notice of concerned authorities about the threat of pollution to the Devika water and need of waste water management.
Kranti Bhushan, general secretary of SEARCH, informed about the other activities of the NGO which include awareness campaigns for the children about the importance of Heritage and also on projects of adaptive reuse of abandoned heritage sites as tourist destinations.
Follow our WhatsApp channel