A treasure trove of artefacts now a dumping ground

Tucked away in the Sunet area, an 8.5-acre ancient land, preserved by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), holds many secrets of a bygone era.

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Despite being under the ASI’s possession for over 30 years and a place of national historical importance, it has become a site for dumping garbage inspite of having a proper boundary wall.

The area is said to have yielded ancient coins, artefacts and relics, which were unearthed years ago. Residents claim that during rainy seasons or excavations, they would stumble upon these treasures. Some have preserved these artefacts, but fear revealing their existence to outsiders.

During a visit to the place, it was found that a small portion of the place was being well maintained, particularly around the residence of the caretaker inside the protected site appointed by the ASI. However, heaps of garbage are visible at several places near the boundary wall. There must be tonnes of polythene thrown inside the protected site by nearby residents. Due to the filth, the place has been stinking, thereby diminishing its importance.

The guard at the site said, “I have been keeping an eye on people throwing polythene filled with garbage and have warned them also, but many people do this at night. I have already apprised senior ASI officials of the issue,” added the guard.

He also said that since this place was a preserved site, visitors were not allowed to roam at this place. He, however, pointed that some roadside vendors had also installed their makeshift vends of vegetables and fast food alongside the boundary walls. They also throw waste inside the site.

Residents reminisced collecting coins when they were children, unaware of their value. “We used to sell them for some rupees,” they said. Locals believe if excavations were to take place, more artefacts could surface, hinting at the 4,000-year-old kingdom that once flourished in the area. The ASI conducted excavations in 1984, unearthing coins and relics that were taken to Chandigarh. The land was then taken over by the ASI, but later fell prey to encroachments. Then there was the intervention of an NGO, leading to the removal of the encroachments and the construction of a wall around the monument.

Meanwhile, the conservation officer didn’t attend to the repeated phone calls of this reporter.