gurugram: In order to revive the historical monuments in and around Gurugram in a bid to boost tourism, the district administration here has chalked out a plan for removing all illegal encroachments that have come up around these monuments. The process of removing the illegal encroachments is expected to start from the ones around the 800-year-old Badshahpur fort where in the course of time over 150 illegal structures have come up. Starting from October, public agencies plan to raze about 75 illegal structures which are mostly residential houses around the area. There are also plans to revamp the historical gates, old houses (havelis) and other historical monuments that are in and around the city. "We are aware of the fact that Gurugram has a rich historical legacy and we will be taking steps in the coming months to preserve this heritage. To begin with, there are plans to remove all the illegal structures that have come up around the historical sites like Badshahpur fort," said a senior district official. For long, the Gurugram administration has been criticised for not preserving its historical heritage. Despite several pleas by citizen groups, a lackadaisical approach by the authorities has only resulted in further encroachments around the historical monuments leading to their degradation. "It is because of the laxity of the authorities over the years that have led to the situation where people are just unaware of the historical richness of Gurugram and its adjoining areas. When there is large scale unemployment, it becomes even more important to improve the tourism potential in the future," said SS Oberoi, a social activist in Gurugram. Gurugram has monuments that not only date back to the Mughal era but also to Prithiviraj Chauhans time. One of the oldest historical monuments is the Badshahpur fort, built in 1216 AD. Another historical monument is the Sheesh Mahal, built in the mid-1700s by a Mughal vassal. Over the years, various historical events were held at the place, including the conflict between Indian soldiers serving in the erstwhile East India Company forces and the British (Sepoy Mutiny, 1857). Recently though, a lot of complaints have been coming in regarding it becoming a popular spot for drug addicts. In addition, several small water embankments built during the Mughal and British times have been vanishing thanks to rapid urbanisation of the city.

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