Expressing grave concern over the deteriorating state of heritage monuments in the national capital, the Supreme Court has strongly reprimanded the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Archaeological Survey of India for displaying complete apathy and concealing crucial facts. A bench comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh directed senior officials from both agencies to make a personal appearance before the court, fixing October 7 as the date for the next hearing. These stern remarks from the bench emerged after media reports highlighted the dilapidated condition and massive encroachments around Lodi-era tombs located in the Zamrudpur area of South Delhi.
Summoning Top Officials Over Heritage Neglect
While hearing a petition concerning the preservation and upkeep of historical heritage structures in Delhi, the bench stated that it was left with no other option except to direct the additional commissioner of the MCD and the director general of the ASI to personally appear before the court. The court asked them to explain via affidavits why appropriate orders should not be issued to seriously penalize such conduct. These media reports were cited through an application filed by Delhi resident Rajiv Suri, via whose petition the Supreme Court is actively monitoring the conservation of historical heritage buildings and sites across the national capital.
Contradictions Between MCD Claims and Ground Reality
The Supreme Court was informed that the MCD had stated in its status report filed on April 10 that five tombs in Zamrudpur had been surveyed. Among these, the condition of one structure was reported as satisfactory, while the remaining three were found surrounded by garbage and encroachments. However, court-appointed commissioners informed the bench that there are five Grade-1 heritage structures under the MCD in Zamrudpur, out of which one structure could not even be located on the ground.
Reacting sharply to these discrepancies, the Supreme Court noted that there was absolute negligence on the part of the MCD and an intentional suppression of facts, especially given that the civic body had earlier maintained a clear stance that such structures were entirely free from encroachment. With the apex court demanding personal accountability from the heads of both agencies, the upcoming hearing on October 7 is expected to bring further scrutiny on how public authorities manage Delhi's fast-vanishing historical legacy.
