Staff Reporter
KOLLAM: Mayor N. Padmalochanan inspected the Tangasseri Fort and the adjacent Buckingham Canal on Wednesday for an on-the-spot study of the mining and reclamation activity being carried out at these two sites respectively.
After inspecting the sites, the Mayor said the activities were being carried out on the sly and the Kollam Corporation would ensure that these are stopped. He issued orders to corporation engineer R. Daniel who accompanied him to issue stop memo to both the sites. He alleged that the activities were being carried out with the connivance of a section of officials at the village office concerned.
After going through the notice put up at the fort site by the Archaeological Survey of India banning mining and construction activity within 300 meters of the periphery of the fort, he said it was shocking how real estate activity had been permitted in the vicinity of the fort. The law did not allow it and in spite of this, the authorities had connived to allow it.
Mr. Padmalochanan said the corporation had a responsibility to protect historical monuments and would strictly adhere to it. The corporation had issued notice to the person concerned stating that the Buckingham Canal could not be reclaimed. In spite of this, a good portion of the canal had been reclaimed, he said, after inspecting the reclamation activity on Wednesday. It would be ensured that the reclaimed portion of the canal was retrieved. Both the canal and the fort were historical monuments, the Mayor said.
The area in the vicinity of the fort had been mined and cleared for real estate activity and a wall had been built towards the sea face to facilitate it. Many houses had also come up in the vicinity of the fort over the past few years. Even a portion of the fort had been converted into the compound wall of a private property.
The fort was built by the Portuguese in the year 1519. It is one of the oldest structures in the country to be built by Europeans.
Neglect has resulted in a good portion of the fort's walls disappearing. At present, only a portion of it remains.
Meanwhile, the people of Tangasseri have submitted a petition to Minister for Cultural Affairs M.A. Baby urging him to initiate measures to protect the canal and the fort.
They pointed out that while documents showed that the fort stood on a 20-acre complex, the fort now had claim to only to 5.7 cents. The canal which was 750 m long and 10 ft wide had shrunk to a stream barely three ft. wide.
They demanded that the canal and the adjoining cemetery be taken over by the Archaeological Department.
