Lothal death: Police, administration seek explanation from IITs, ASI

Assistant Professor Yama Dixit, 45, was also buried in the cave-in but was rescued by local residents and first responders.

On Thursday, a team from ASI visited the site of the mishap.

Superintendent of Police, Ahmedabad Rural, Om Prakash Jat told The Indian Express on Friday, “The members of the digging team told us in their statements that they had carried out their work outside the prohibited area. However, we are looking into it and will file a report accordingly.”

His office, meanwhile, has sent letters to the two IITs and the ASI, seeking an explanation.

Dr Abhijit Ambekar, Superintending Archaeologist of the Vadodara Circle of the ASI, who inspected the spot, told The Indian Express, “We have found that this team was conducting its research, and had dug the pit well within the prohibited area of the Lothal site. We have submitted a report on this matter to the ASI headquarters.”

Dock of the ancient site of Lothal under water; (inset) Surabhi Verma, a PhD student from IIT Delhi, died at the site. (Express Photo)

Hitesh Kumar Joshi, the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or Prant Officer of Dholka, said, “We have written to the ASI seeking details on the dig site where the incident took place, the jurisdiction of the area and if permissions were required, whether they were sought and given or not. We are expecting a reply shortly.”

On the issue of lack of safety measures at the site, SP Jat said, “We have written to IIT Delhi and IIT Gandhinagar seeking their SOPs on safety and research.”

Meanwhile, Verma’s last rites were conducted in her hometown, Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh, on Friday. Her cousin Ajir Verma has sought an investigation into the alleged negligence in digging the pit and lack of safety measures at the site.

The excavator used in the dig site. (Express Photo By Bhupendra Rana)

The ancient site of Lothal, which contains the archaeological remains of Harappa port town, was declared a protected monument by the Centre in 1999.

According to the ASI website, the gamut of monuments includes prehistoric sites, stone age rock-shelters, Neolithic sites, Megalithic burial sites, rock-cut caves, stupas, temples, churches, synagogues, mosques, tombs, palaces, forts, bathing ghats, tanks, water reservoirs, bridges, pillars, inscriptions, mounds, kos minars, excavated sites, etc.

According to the website, “…Further, an area up to the limit of 100 metres from the monument or site has been declared as prohibited area and an area up to the distance of 200 metres further beyond the prohibited limit has been declared as a regulated area. For undertaking construction related activities within prohibited and regulated areas, permission from the Competent Authority…is required.”

Police confirmed that no designated archaeologists were present at the site when the incident occurred, adding that the locals informed the police about the accident. (Express Photo)

Notably, the research team, which was conducting paleoclimatology studies, had taken the services of a building road contractor to dig the pit using an excavation machine.

Besides IIT-Delhi’s Verma and Dixit, the team comprised Associate Professor from IIT Gandhinagar V N Prabhakar, who is a former Director, Exploration and Excavation, ASI, and Senior Research Fellow Shikha Rai.

In a statement, IIT Gandhinagar said the study was being conducted by IIT Delhi and that they, Prabhakar and Rai, had only provided “local support”.