Railways,ASI agree to share land near Nila Gumbad for landscaping

The decision,however,comes across as more of a token land-sharing. While the ASI’s requirement of building an alternate road on the east of the structure is 2,000 sq metre,only around 600 sq m has been permitted. Sources in the Railways said it was decided the diverted road will not be on Railways land. “It has been agreed that the Railways will relocate the water tank located next to the monument so that the archaeological remains discovered at the site are left untouched. The road can now be diverted but we have maintained that railways land should not be used for this,” a senior Railways official said.

There were also reservations regarding granting the requested 34 metres of land towards the south of Nila Gumbad. The Chairman of the Railway Board,however,agreed to hand this over to the ASI as it was originally connected to Nila Gumbad.

ASI officials are relieved to have arrived at a compromise with the Railways over the longstanding dispute,but are disappointed over the road diversion issue. As reported by Newsline earlier,while the Railways allowed the construction of a temple on railways land within the Railway Protection Force (RPF) barracks,they refused to part with land for diverting the road.

The decision now awaits a formal correspondence between the two bodies,sources in the ASI told Newsline. Work on Nila Gumbad,which features among 46 monuments that have been earmarked for a facelift for the upcoming Commonwealth Games,is yet to begin; only after a formal agreement is made between the two bodies will it make any headway. ASI officials are,however,hopeful that if the land permitted for sharing is handed over to the heritage body soon,it might be possible to complete landscaping around the monument before the Commonwealth Games,as well as integration with Humayun’s Tomb nearby.

Warring sides
* Railways had turned down ASI’s request for diverting a road beside Nila Gumbad,so that heritage structure could be incorporated in the Humayun’s Tomb complex. The Railways proposed a skyway instead,opposed by ASI
* Railways refused to extend an MoU signed by the 2 agencies in 2004,that allowed ASI to carry out beautification drive in the area
* Two FIRs were filed by ASI against Railways for illegally constructing a building within 100 m of monumentthe resolution
* 34 metres of land each on north and south of the monument will be given to ASI for landscaping
* Railways permits 600 m of land of the 2000 sq m required for an alternate road on east of structure