Cleaning up a tall order

As senior officials from the ASI’s Delhi circle put it, ‘‘Most of the areas around Qutub already existed as colonies. It was impossible to even think that the northern and western sides, both occupied by small colonies, could be changed after the monument was declared a World Heritage site. In fact, these colonies have been the greatest threat to the Qutub’s heritage zone.’’

A visit to the Qutub has visitors first looking at illegal encroachments. Even as ASI officials claim serving ‘‘umpteen showcause notices and warnings to the makeshift shops right in front of the main entry gate’’.

The superintending archaeologist, Delhi circle, A.K. Sinha, confirmed, ‘‘We have been serving showcause notices to all the shopkeepers in the area but it has served no purpose. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which is in charge of the roads and the area outside the Qutub complex, has been of no help. The shops come back every time we remove them and all efforts to get help from the Delhi Police have gone in vain.’’

The Qutub complex has therefore figured in court cases many times over, with shopkeepers getting away with buying more time. Residents of the ‘Christian Colony’ adjacent to the Qutub complex and others residing illegally near the Lal Kot excavation site have made sure ASI and the Qutub do not come in the way of their home improvement plans.

Sinha added, ‘‘The biggest threat to the Qutub complex, which comprises another 23 heritage buildings, is the encroachment from the Christian Colony and the other illegal construction around the site. Even if these colonies do not build afresh, they are constantly adding new floors or extending their existing constructed area and encroaching upon the Qutub complex.’’

For visitors to the Qutub, ASI does not offer any facilitation centre — though one is planned — or designated guides. It works with a battery of temporarily-appointed tourist guides it does not keep an account of. To make up for the loss, ASI, as Sinha said, ‘‘provides for guide books at the ticketing counter itself, and a map’’.

The complex offers tourists two toilet clusters. Facilities for drinking water have been made. But for those looking for a bite, the only hope is the illegal shops outside the monument.

Graded to be of ‘‘Archaeological Value A’’, in the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage book Delhi — the Built Heritage, the Qutub Minar does not have structural problems. But it faces potential threats from vehicular pollution. It is encircled by busy roads — the Gurgaon-Mehrauli Road and the Mehrauli in-roads.

While vibrations from traffic in the area do not affect the Qutub Minar itself, monuments like the Illtutmish tomb and the Adham Khan tomb are sure to be hurt in time.

What needs immediate attention is the arterial road connecting Mehrauli with the village right behind the Qutub complex. It is dangerously close to the monuments.

An ASI official pointed out, ‘‘Pollution in the past has caused decolouring of the Qutub itself. But that is something that we cannot prevent. Some of this decolouring gets naturally treated and washed off by rain. Maintenance work takes care of the rest.’’

Though not exactly the Minar itself, the Qutub complex has problems ASI needs to address. As one enters the complex, on the right is a small area demarcated as ‘‘plant nursery’’. The man inside is gruff: ‘‘Sarkar ki nursery hai. Yahan nahi toh aur kahan se chalaenge? (This is a government nursery. If we don’t run it here, where should we go?)’’

Adjacent to the nursery, plastic tanks adorn the walls of the ancient structure that is part of the Qutub complex. ASI seems to have forgotten about it. The side arches, right next to the entrance to the Qutub, have been turned into makeshift godowns with chuna, old chairs, poles not in use and even cycles stored.

Seepage can be easily spotted on the walls and arches of the monuments right next to the Qutub itself. Even worse are the cracks on the many large stones aligned in the structure. Additional shame comes in the form of garbage strewn around in various corners of the Qutub complex.

The ASI dedicates a budget of Rs 20 lakh every year to the structural maintenance of the monument. It has an additional budget of Rs 15 lakh for structural repairs. In contrast, the 18.06 lakh Indian tourists (ticket: Rs 100 and 2.11 lakh foreign tourists (ticket: Rs 250) earned it Rs 3.73 crore in 2004. Not enough to buy the Minar a peaceful home in Delhi.