They withstood invaders for centuries but these historical monuments are again under siege, this time from modern marauders. Some of Madhya Pradesh's most famous monuments, including those on the World Heritage list of UNESCO like the Khajuraho temples, Sanchi stupas and Bhimbetka rock shelters, are being encroached upon by politicians and powerful developers. And it seems there's nothing anyone can do about the dangers to this rich cultural heritage. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Superintending Archaeologist (Bhopal) K.K. Muhammed, whose office covers the entire state, admits, "We may be fighting a lost cause."

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SPOILT SPLENDOUR: Buildings mar the Chanderi Fort premises in Guna

The problem has been growing for years and involves blatant encroachment close to historical monuments. One glaring example is the sprawling Hotel Roopmati in Mandu owned by powerful Congressman Mohan Singh Bundela. Portions of the hotel were constructed on the prohibited area of the country's biggest fortified ancient city, a cluster of millennia-old monuments. The construction has been going on for years, ignoring the fact that vibrations and shocks caused by the construction activity do incalculable harm to the monuments. According to ASI norms, the area within the 100 m radius of a monument is sacrosanct and no construction is allowed there. Two-hundred metres beyond the first periphery is the regulated area where the ASI's permission is required for any kind of construction. The permission is granted after strict aesthetic and safety considerations. Nobody, however, dared oppose the hotel construction till there was a change of government in the state and Bundela's clout was diminished. Only recently did the ASI win a minor battle, when, armed with a court order against Bundela, it demolished part of the hotel.

Powerful politicians have defied ASI regulations elsewhere too. Shankar Pratap Singh Bundela, also a Congress politician and cooperative czar, owns a hotel that falls in the regulated zone of the world-famous Khajuraho temples in Chhatarpur district. "The threat to heritage monuments is getting out of hand because politicians won't act," says Damoh-based activist Santosh Bharti, an environment campaigner.

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PAST GLORY: Construction work is taking place near the Shiv temple in Bhojpur, Raisen

Recently, a cold storage was built in the prohibited area of the 5th century a.d. Greek Helliodorus Pillar in Vidisha. The storage is in the name of Sadhna Singh, wife of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Similar encroachments have taken place in over 100 of the 286 monuments protected by the ASI in the state.

If it is not politicians, it is some godman or religious figure who is responsible for encroachment. Three places of worship, including a mosque, a Hindu temple and a Jain temple along with a host of residential units, have come up in the prohibited zones of the world-famous Sanchi stupas. Says Indresh Gajbhiye, the Buddhist member on the Madhya Pradesh State Minorities Commission, "Every effort must be made to remove the encroachments and protect the World Heritage monuments in Sanchi."

At the latest World Heritage site of Madhya Pradesh, Bhimbetka, the pre-historic rock shelters near the state capital that have some of the finest rock art in the region, a sadhu has built a temple right in the middle of the site. While the director-general of ASI issued demolition orders, the sadhu moved a local court and got a stay order. Other such attempts all across the state have also resulted in stay orders or administrative inaction.

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LOST CHARMS: A hotel has been built in the prohibited area in Mandu

Some of the worst sufferers of encroachments and administrative lethargy in removing them are the clusters of Khajuraho temples and Mandu monuments. According to ASI reports, the Western group of temples in Khajuraho has 27 encroachments like hotels, shops and residential houses. The Chausath Yogini temple has 16 but despite demolition orders to the district administration not even one has been removed. In the vicinity of the unique monuments in Mandu, there are around 80 cases of encroachment.

Till now, concrete action has come about mainly through court verdicts. However, there's a catch in taking up judicial recourse for removing encroachments. The ASI cannot spare its experts to depose in courts and fight cases all the time because their resources are stretched to the limit. The state Government recognises the enormity of the problem. However, local circumstances vary from place to place, making the job tougher for the local administration. The length of time for which these encroachments have been in existence is an important factor. The concept of prohibited and regulated areas came about in the early 1990s though some of these structures pre-date that. "We are making sure that any fresh encroachment is discouraged," says Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Vijay Singh.

Clearly, the alarming situation calls for concerted action on the part of the state Government, the ASI and vigilant civil society groups. Or else, these priceless archaeological treasures will be lost forever.

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