Hampi Integrated Master Plan to be notified in 2 months

Bellary, Oct 23 (UNI) An Integrated Master Plan (IMP), facilitating major developments in the world heritage site of Hampi in accordance with the UNESCO guidelines, has been prepared and will be notified in the gazette in two months.

Informing this to newspersons here today, Deputy Commissioner Arvind Srivastav, also the Chairman of Hampi Site Development Authority (HDA), said the IMP would be notified after hearing objections, if any, from the public through gram sabhas. The draft was finalised on August 28 last.

The IMP, sent to the Government, included acquisition of 233 acres of land where agriculture activities were being undertaken.

Based on the IMP, a revised estimate plan had been sent to HUDCO for funds, he added.

Mr Srivastav said that as most part of the Hampi world heritage site and its cultural contents were outside official protection, heritage site management plan was the need of the hour. The National Institute of Design (NID) report advocated three principal zones -- core, buffer and peripheral. However, this report was nearly denoted by arbitrary lines, which did not conform to the ground reality.

The IMP would throw light on protection of monuments, coming under Central and State Archaeological departments. Initially, over 41 sqkm were declared as protected area, but later it was extended to 1,056 sqkm, including the core, buffer and peripheral zones.

Without any scientific reason, 56 monuments coming under the central archaeological department have been declared as protected monuments.

However, in 2002, the HDA had brought 1,600 monuments spread over 41 sqkm under the core zone to be protected. About 900 main monuments fall within 25 sqkm and it was the responsibility of the Archaeological Socity of India to maintain and protect them. The protection of the remaining area would be done with media understanding. The proposed core zone included the entire Hampi site with a part of Kamalapur. This had been divided into three parts -- residential, expansion and agricultural zones, he explained.

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