CHENNAI: Lifting the eight-year-old freeze on construction activities at Zamin Pallavaram , the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has started issuing No Objection Certificates (NOC) for new developments around the protected ancient site in the locality. The custodian of centrally protected monuments stopped providing NOC since the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010, came into effect, which regulates building activity between 100 metre and 300 metres with the ASI 's approval. However, ban on constructions within 100 metres from the notified site continues.According to ASI sources, the applications seeking NOC for constructions in the regulated area covering a range between 100 metres and 300 between from the protected site are being processed. “The processing of these applications has started six months ago, after the completion of a joint survey to mark the prohibited area and regulated area around the protected site in September last year,” an ASI official told TOI. No constructions are allowed within the 100 metre radius of the protected site.Pallavaram has two hillocks situated in an area of 57 acres falling in two survey numbers such as 56 and 53. It has megalithic burial sites that date back to more than 2300 years. Urbaanisation of pockets around the hillocks led to massive inhabitation in the area. The ASI refused NOC for constructions citing that they could not mark the boundary of the protected site in the range of 300 metres. This led to massive agitation among the locals. Following the directions of the Madras High Court, a joint survey was conducted to earmark the boundaries in 2017.

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