Bridges across Hampi’s heart

In 1993, former chief minister Veerappa Moily laid the foundation for onebridge three km from Hampi, near Talavaraghatta. Later, the Patel governmentsanctioned Rs five crore for it. No ASI clearance was got.

The two-way, 60-feet wide bridge, most of which has been built, will bringAnegundi (built by Krishnadeva Raya and in another district) and Hampicloser. As of now people who go to Anegundi have to either cross the riverby ferry or take a circuitous, 25-km road route via Hospet and Munirabad.It is feared movement of heavy vehicles on the bridge would play havoc withHampi’s environment. The city is known for its peacock and bear sanctuariesand its rare medicinal plants all these will get affected. Also,agricultural work is going on adjacent to the Virupaksha Temple and, it isfeared, the water that percolates down will affect the fort.

In fact, Chief Secretary Bhattacharya had ordered that construction bestopped but when The Indian Express visited the bridge site, the contractorwas waiting for engineers to help him lay concrete on one span.

Another former chief minister is responsible for the second bridge. In 1996,(see photograph) J.H. Patel laid the foundation for a hanging bridge nearHampi, being built at a cost of Rs 45 lakh, and modelled on the Ram andLakshman jhulas in Rishikesh.

However, paucity of funds has stopped the work mid-way. This bridge also hadno ASI clearance. People allege that the MP from Koppalm, H.G. Ramulu, hasan interest in the bridge: He is reportedly building resorts nearby. But,Ramulu has maintained silence over the allegation.

The Minister’s colony and the resort violate the rule that any structurebuilt five km around Hampi must get the ASI’s sanction. Hundreds of low-costhouses have come up and people, just as guilty as their rulers, have startedquarrying boulders and stones for their construction work (see photograph).Experts have warned that the unscientific quarrying will loosen the soilaround the rocks and if they do roll down, the Virupaksha Temple will be thefirst casualty.

Yet, heedless to these warnings, the historic Virupaksha bazaar whereprecious stones, diamonds and gold were sold during Krishnadevarya’s times,is now being encroached upon and used by residents as a dwelling place.People say they will move out when alternative accommodation is provided. Sofar, the government has remained silent.

Foreign tourists who cross the river Tungabhadra from Hampi and go toAnegundi return to the city, carrying drugs and police are yet to act toprevent drug trafficking. In an indication of the local apathy to theproblems besetting Hampi, it was a foreigner who wrote an SOS to PrimeMinister Vajpayee. In January, Dr. Vasundhara Filliozat, who resides inParis but is a native of Mysore, wrote to the Prime Minister detailingHampi, its rich cultural heritage and brought to his notice the huge bridgesbeing constructed.

She said: “It is the duty of India in general and Karnataka in particularto protect this site and preserve it as an archaeological and cultural areaof significance for posterity. But the traffic of drugs, drug dealrs and theconversion of old mantaps into hotels for serving drugs and what not, do notgive us any hope for its preservation.”

Vasundhara further said that for any construction or modification at Hampi,UNESCO must be informed and its permission sought because Hampi is a worldheritage site. If UNESCO gets a report on what is happening in Hampi, it isfeared, the city’s name will be deleted from the list of world heritagesites forever. Filliozat also brought to light the fact that Hampi is partlyprotected by the State Archaeology Department and partly by the ASI and thatboth had been unable to evolve a uniform policy for the conservation of thisgrand urban site of the medieval period. As of now, the Virupaksha templeand its surroundings are under the control of the State ArchaeologyDepartment but the department has no powers to check the activities goinginside the area of its jurisdiction.

Following this letter, the ASI issued a notice to stop work on both thebridges. At a recent review meeting presided by Chief Minister S.M. Krishna,MP H.G. Ramulu complained about the ASI order. He appealed to the ChiefMinister that he take up the matter with the Centre.

Other problems have also come to light. P.T. Gutti who has been fighting alone battle for the protection of Hampi since 20 years, spoke to The IndianExpress at Hampi. He pointed out that it was the Hampi grampanchayat whichissued licences for construction and for drilling borewells an activitysure to affect the monuments.

Gutti’s solution is the formation of a separate development authority headedby a senior IAS officer. The authority should have experts and people’srepresentatives and any development should be done through this authority.