Summary:
“Unless you have that, any alteration can be considered tampering with a heritage building , which is illegal,” an expert said. But, a senior official of NBCC, entrusted with the conservation of both Indian Museum and Victoria Memorial Hall, said such brick structures without foundation was an even worse risk to passersby. Moreover, he said, the removal of the pillars after restoration might cause damage to the heritage structure.Experts said the museum director should have formed an expert committee to assess the threat to the structural stability of the heritage structure. “We conserved the sanctum sanctorum of the Puri Jagannath temple, using steel scaffolding to support the beams and the roof. Even for temporary support, we can never think of brick-and-mortar structures,” said P K Mishra, former regional director (east) of Archaeological Survey of India..