Dibrugarh, Aug. 5: Dibrugarh Christian cemetery could become a must-visit-site for tourists to know about the legacy of the British in the state but the 18th century graveyard needs immediate steps for proper conservation.

"Many foreign tourists come to Dibrugarh. If the administration takes steps to maintain the cemetery then it will become a tourist site. However, it remains neglected. Jungles have grown inside the cemetery and most of the tombs are buried under the bushes,'' said Siddharta Sur Roy, a social activist of Dibrugarh. Most of the tombstones have collapsed.

Altogether, 103 British nationals were laid to rest in this cemetery built in 1862-63 reportedly with Rs 4,812 only.

Sources said a few months back, some anti-social elements had taken refuge inside the cemetery. Many illegal liquor shops have sprung up in front of the cemetery and sometimes, during dry days, the shopowners keep their liquor inside the cemetery to save themselves from police and later sell them.

Rita Thakuria Chadhury, a professor of history in D.H.S.K. College, Dibrugarh, told The Telegraph that Dibrugarh is a historical place. However, the younger generation does not know much about the rich heritage of the tea town.

"The cemetery, which earlier had neat rows of white gravestones, is now covered with an overgrowth of thick bushes for lack of maintenance. Under the beautification project, the district administration should plant trees and flowers inside the cemetery. I urge the district administration to take immediate steps to conserve the decade-old cemetery,'' she said.

"The district administration should take necessary steps to conserve the age-old cemetery which has a lot of historical importance. Dibrugarh has potential in tourism sector and there are many places which could be preserved with proper scientific method. The cemetery should be thrown open to tourists,'' said Haripoda Dutta, a senior citizen.

"Many tourists visit Dibrugarh from England and Ireland to pay their respects to their loved ones. Therefore, the department concerned should look into the matter and take adequate steps to clean and conserve the cemetery,'' said Hemanta Goswami, a tourist guide. He also stressed the need to set up an enquiry centre where tourists can get information on the town's places of interest.

When this correspondent asked Dibrugarh Municipal Board chairperson Anuradha Dey about the maintenance of the cemetery, she said she did not know anything about the matter.

Deputy commissioner M.S. Manivannan told The Telegraph over phone that though funds were sanctioned under the zilla parishad a few years ago, nothing has been released so far. "After the rainy season is over, we will look into the matter.''

According to official records, the first person to be laid to rest in the cemetery was 33-year-old British corporal Thomas Trail.

The grave of 29-year-old William Alexander Mackenzie Duncan, who was the deputy commissioner of Dibrugarh (headquarters of erstwhile-undivided Lakhimpur district) during British rule, lies here.

The cemetery, situated along Assam Trunk Road near India Club, covers an area of 68,608 square feet and measures 168 feet in length and 2,556 feet in breadth.