Heritage tag worries Kolhapur residents

A new law called the Ancient Monuments and Archeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act 2010, the tag has become a burden for the 3,000 residents of the Khidrapur village in Kolhapur, who live near a 12th century Shiva temple that holds heritage status.

‘Under this law, no construction can be carried out within 300m from an ancient heritage site. Khidrapur village falls within this range,’ said Raju Shetti, the member of parliament  from Hatkanangle. ‘The Krishna river nearby floods every year and destroys homes. The villagers won’t be able to repair them.’
Shetti said that any construction would require a no-objection certificate (NOC) from either a state or national authority. ‘These small farmers and labourers can’t go to Mumbai or Delhi to do this,’ he added.

Moved by their plight, Shetti has approached prime minister Manmohan Singh with a request that the process for granting the NOC be simplified, at least for this village.