Rs 20-lakh heritage manhole cover left unattended in Chandigarh

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 8

A member of Heritage Items Protection Cell (HIPC) of the UT Administration has raised the alarm over the safety of a heritage manhole cover that has been left unattended in Sector 21 here.

In a letter to the MC Commissioner, Anindita Mitra, Ajay Jagga has highlighted that the heritage manhole cover, the estimated cost of which is about Rs20 lakh, was seen ‘sans heavy frame, lying over drain hole, is completely exposed to theft’. He has called for urgent action to protect the heritage item.

When contacted, Jagga said: “I saw this manhole cover lying unattended at Sector 21. I didn’t mention the exact location in the letter and otherwise for the safety of this heritage item. Since manhole covers are now the responsibility of the MC, it should take immediate and necessary action to protect the heritage of this city.”

There are nearly 2,000 cast iron manhole covers in the city, with an impression of Chandigarh map, which were designed by French architect Le Corbusier. In December 2019, the MC had approved the proposal of replacing these covers with cemented ones at an approximate cost of Rs75 lakh. This was done in view of protecting the heritage of the city.

When informed about the heritage manhole cover and Jagga’s communication, Anindita replied: “I am not aware of any such correspondence, that doesn’t mean that the correspondence is not received. A corrective action will be taken immediately, tomorrow itself. I shall fix responsibility of people who have been casual in exercising their duties. I’m of the opinion that no development in this city can happen which doesn’t go with the ethos of City Beautiful.”

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