‘If UNESCO can be sensitive, why can’t ASI?’ Bombay HC seeks Centre’s reply to PIL urging protection of ancient Konkan rock carvings in refinery project site

After senior advocate Gayatri Singh arguing for petitioners said there was an urgency in the matter and claimed rock art petroglyphs were being destroyed, Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya orally told the Centre’s lawyer, “Obtain instructions from your officers. If an international body like UNESCO can be sensitive, why cannot be ASI? If possible, ask some ASI officer to visit the spot and make his/her own assessment. If he finds petroglyphs to be protected, consider it. It is up to you to decide but your machinery should move.”

The PIL was filed by Ganpat S Raut, a resident of Goval village, and Ramchandra B Shelke, a resident of Barsu village in Rajapur taluka, along with Mahendrakumar Gurav, a native of Ratnagiri district who resides in Mumbai, through advocate Hamza Lakdawala.

The PIL seeks direction to the ASI and the Centre to initiate necessary proceedings under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, to protect the geoglyphs included in the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list.

The PIL, pending hearing, seeks no developmental or industrial work to be allowed in and around the sites where geoglyphs are situated in the Konkan region. The villagers and activists had staged protests against the project earlier this year.

The Indian Express had last year reported that conservationists and archaeologists including members of the expert team of the Centre had raised concerns saying the refinery will end up damaging the geoglyphs and can be moved 5-10 km away from the present site.

A division bench of Chief Justice Upadhyaya and Justice Arif S Doctor issued notice to the respondent authorities and sought their affidavits in reply to the PIL before the next hearing on April 24.