The Northbrook Gate

Dec. 27: After being disowned by its caretakers, Northbrook Gate, the only piece of 19th century British architecture in the city, finally has help.

Even after cracks appeared on the gate, the cement coating began to peel off and bricks fell off, both the state archaeology department and the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) were busy playing a game of passing the buck.

Built with brick and white limestone, the 137-year-old crumbling gate stands overlooking the Brahmaputra.

It guards the entrance of Sukreswar Park, which is under the Assam tourism department.

Managing director of the ATDC, Anurag Singh, said, “Though the area of this park is in our custody, the gate isn’t. We are supposed to maintain it, but no one other than the archaeology department is allowed to touch it.”

However, it was only after one of the arches of the gate tilted forward and more cracks appeared on the facade after the September 18 earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, that the ATDC approached the archaeology department to restore the gate so that it does not collapse.

The gate has 12 arches in all.

“We have been putting pressure on the archaeology department for the past three months to restore it. We can’t touch it because it is an archaeology department property and we don’t have the expertise,” said Singh.

Claiming that the gate is not on the list of archaeological sites, the director of archaeology, H.N. Dutta, said, “This gate is not our responsibility. We are only taking up the project to restore it only on request from the ATDC. Hence, we have sent a cost estimate against that proposal.”

Countering Dutta’s statement, Singh asked, “Will we be allowed to carry out a restoration project without seeking their permission?”

To restore the gate, the archaeology department has been asked to prepare a proposal estimating the cost. According to Singh, a total of Rs 80 lakh will be spent on this project next year, utilising central funds.

The gate, commissioned to welcome British viceroy Lord Northbrook who visited Guwahati in 1874, was built near Sukreswar ghat where the viceroy anchored his ship.

“It is an important site of historical interest, but nobody is aware of it. There are no brochures mentioning the richness of its past. Hence, being the tourism department, it is imperative for us to develop it. After restoring it, we will be able to market the site and popularise it,” said Singh.