By Our Reporter
With the appointment of a controversial man like Lharkel Lama to lead the Lumbini Development Trust, the fear of losing Lumbini from the World Heritage site has increased.
When Lama resorted to illegal activities like giving the land of the archaeological sites for commercial purposes and erecting illegal structures, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) that enlisted Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, in the World Heritage List in 1997, has expressed its concerns regarding the human activities and construction of various structures in the Lumbini area.
The extended 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September 10-25, 2023 had also decided to seek a clarification from the LDT. Accordingly, the World Heritage Committee wrote a 10-point letter to the Lumbini Development Trust seeking clarification before February 1, 2024. The trust has replied to the World Heritage Committee before the set deadline.
It is learnt that Unesco repeatedly wrote to the LDT expressing serious concerns about the ongoing construction of several structures in the Lumbini area. It also warned that the heritage site could be put on the ‘Heritage in Danger List’ which could result in its removal from the ‘World Heritage Sites’ list.
The UN agency expresses its concern about the construction of a meeting hall with a capacity of accommodating 5,000 people in the area. As per the instruction of then prime minister KP Sharma Oli, the construction of the hall began four years ago near the Lumbini-Taulihawa road section. The hall is now in operation.
The 17 stone statues in Sagarhawa, which the LDT plans to promote as a tourist site, were built by 15 renowned sculptors from all over the world following a national sculpture workshop and conference held by LDT from January 8 to January 22.
Meanwhile, the Public Account Committee under the Federal Parliament has instructed to scrap the illegal agreement and understanding signed to give the land of the archaeological site of Ramgram after it found that the LDT in June last year signed an agreement with a private company without seeking prior permission from the government.
Likewise, the Department of Archaeology (DoA) had also issued directives to the authorities concerned for the immediate removal of statues constructed in Sagarhawa and a cowshed in Dohanikot of Kapilvastu district.
Stating that the recently sculpted stone statues and the new cowshed affect the heritage sites with historical, archaeological and cultural significance, the department wrote to the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) and Kapilvastu Municipality instructing the removal of the structures.
The construction of the stone sculptures and the cowshed compromises the structure and integrity of the archaeologically important places, said the DoA spokesman.
In recent years, new structures have been built in places related to Gautam Buddha and the ancient Shakya dynasty in Kapilvastu, Rupandehi and Nawalparasi West districts. According to archaeologists, an increase in human activities and the construction of new structures put the historical artefacts and their knowledge under threat of erosion.
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