Endangered Buddhist Complex:

• Activists asks ASI to use advanced methods (satellites, geophysics) to protect Thotlakonda
• Civil society contests AP Govt’s reduction of the site due to real estate pressure
• Activists compares neglect to Vadnagar & asks if early satellite studies could’ve helped
• Advanced techniques crucial to avoid losing irreplaceable archaeological data

Visakhapatnam: Social activist and former IAS officer EAS Sarma has urged the Ministry of Culture and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to employ ground-penetrating, non-invasive techniques to investigate the entire 3,000-acre Thotlakonda Buddhist Complex, an ancient site dating back to the third century BC, near Visakhapatnam.

In a letter to Govind Mohan, Secretary, Union Ministry of Culture, he referred to his earlier letter asking the ASI to archaeology-friendly methodologies so that the potential archaeological evidence that exists as per an independent survey conducted earlier would be saved for the posterity.

For some strange reason, despite the fact that ASI had been asked by a court to undertake an investigation of the Thotlakonda originally notified site, the ASI seems to be reluctant to go all out, use techniques such as satellite imagery, geo-physical investigation etc. in unearthing the evidence that exists all around Thotlakonda, though in 1978, the then State Government chose to notify 3,000 acres as a protected area under the relevant law, he stated.

Yielding to real estate pressure, in July 2021, the AP Government hurriedly denotified the major portion of that 3,000 acre site, which the civil society contested. Compare this with the plight faced by the same ASI in Vadnagar, the home town of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, how ‘development’ is erasing evidence of ancient history there, while ASI is watching helplessly, seeking the State administration to notify those areas under the relevant Central law that exists to preserve archaeological sites, he stated.

In the letter, Sarma asked “had ASI undertaken a satellite imagery study around Vadnagar well in advance, those potential sites, now facing destruction, could have been saved with least damage.”

In the case of Thotlakonda near Visakhapatnam where a 3,000 acre site was originally notified by the State government in 1978 for good reasons and, more recently, in 2021, the government denotified the major portion of it, yielding to real estate developers’ pressure.

On the other hand, it is the civil society, anxious to get the entire 3,000 acre site protected along with the potential archaeological evidence that exists that sought judicial intervention, ASI, at the instance of the court, has been asked to investigate the site but, perhaps in its hurry to complete the study on time, it has chosen not to adopt advanced ground-penetrating techniques to unearth evidence that some researchers found a decade ago.

He pointed out that the same ASI is now feeling helpless seeing the precious Vadnar archaeological evidence being erased by JCBs, seeking action from the local administration to stop the process of destruction. Such invaluable archaeological heritage sites, instead of being safely handed over to the posterity, are being subject to damage, due to inaction on the part of the Central and State Governments and regulatory agencies.

Had ASI taken advanced action in and around Vadnagar by adopting advanced scientific techniques to explore, it would have unearthed several precious micro-sites and taken action to save them in time.

The activist said professional agencies in India such as National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) have the necessary expertise that could be used by ASI.