Green cover can protect monuments,says expert
Advocating the role of trees as a bioshield for national monuments,ethno-botanist Professor Javed Ashraf presented a part of his research titled Pollution in Medieval Times at a national-level seminar on air pollution organised by the Department of Botany,M S University on Sunday.
Advocating the role of trees as a bioshield for national monuments,ethno-botanist Professor Javed Ashraf presented a part of his research titled “Pollution in Medieval Times” at a national-level seminar on air pollution organised by the Department of Botany,M S University on Sunday. Professor Ashraf who is a regular visitor to the city shares his views with The Indian Express about Gujarat’s heritage,restoration measures taken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and his experience as member of the Supreme Court committee assigned to study the effects of natural and human factors on the Taj Mahal and Sun Temple of Konark. Following are the excerpts of the interview.
Your paper on pollution during medieval times is an unusual piece of research,especially when there are a few sources that could give reliable information on this aspect. What was the nature of pollution in medieval times?
The two factors that caused air pollution during medieval times in India were natural and human. While natural factors were mostly dispersal of pollen in the air,or dust being blown by storms in arid and semi-arid parts of India,the human factors that led to pollution were mainly movement of large caravans consisting of animals,bulls and large armies. Farm practices such as burning of agriculture fields,or use of dung and plant residues as fertilisers altered the aromatic quality of the air. These records were mostly found in the journals of foreign travellers of that time. Pollution also spread through various works such as metalwork,woodwork,dying and pottery. Pietro De Valle,an Italian traveller,has mentioned Khabayat (Khambhat of Anand district) port as highly polluted. This was due to a large number of ships berthing there and throwing their waste into the water. The large-scale cooking activity at huge sarais added to Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) as soot. However,pollution was seasonal and not so colossal as now.
What are the factors that affect monuments today?
One of the most important factors that affect the monuments is dust. Most of the national monuments do not have tree cover. High-speed winds carrying dust particles harm the monument consistently over a long period. The dust behaves like bullets hitting the surface of the monument. In Gujarat,because of the proximity of the sea and the arid nature of the soil,the monuments without green cover are dying a slow death. Most of the monuments in Gujarat were made of cheaply available sandstones and so tree cover is a must. Secondly,many monuments such as Vavs in Ahmedabad or Patan have been reduced to mere tourist spots. People use these monuments as a form of entertainment. The devotional aspect of the heritage is lost,as now religion here in Gujarat has become a ritual.
What about the measures that have been taken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and concerned citizens of the state.
If you are restoring something,it should not be visible. The restoration is not repair of the affected portions of the monument. Look at the Qutub Minar now. The ASI’s restoration work is visible to the naked eye from 100 metres. Cement came to India after the 12th century. Had the authorities used cement on the Konark Temple,which is a 10th century monument,soon the temple would have fallen apart. In Gujarat,Pavagadh had about eight stone catapults made by Sultan Allaudin Khilji. However,except for a few historical records,the traces have almost vanished. Even though the original material and the expertise are available,the authorities do not wish to use them. And hence,the restoration process and the work are visible to the people visiting these sites.
How does one save these monuments then?
A tree cover can protect the monuments that are exposed to the wind. The beauty remains the same even if trees surround the monument from all sides. Human setllement could be done in a way that there is no impact on monuments. Even in areas where water is brackish such as Kutch,xerophytes such as Casuarina trees could be planted to protect monuments from dust.
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