Wall of shame

The boundary of the walled city of Amritsar,which dates back to the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh,is crumbling.

History:The boundary of the walled city of Amritsar,which dates back to the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh,is crumbling. The wall was built around the old city in 1820s,along with a moat,12 gates and corresponding bridges to fortify Amritsar. It was rebuilt by the British in the 1860s.

Present Status: A part of the wall has given way at different points. This is not all,area near it has been encroached upon and even police posts have come up along its sides. Some part of it has even disintegrated. Dr Balwinder Singh,a conservation expert,says the original wall was constructed with small tiles,while the part reconstructed during the British rule has bigger bricks.

He rapped the Municipal Corporation and the district administration for turning a blind eye to a historically-important structure. Despite being such an important piece of heritage,it has never caught the attention of the authorities, he says.

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Deputy Commissioner K S Pannu,who is director of various conservation projects,says the government was serious about restoration of historical sites,particularly those related to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Centre has sanctioned Rs 20 crore for conservation of various sites,and the wall too will be covered under it, he says.

Municipal Commissioner DPS Kharbanda says the MC had sent a separate proposal worth Rs 100 crore to Asian Development Bank. The work will start once the money is sanctioned, he adds.

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