Cuttack: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has informed Orissa High Court that it will take 25 days to complete work on the lightening arrester installed in the nilachakra of the Jagannath temple in Puri.

In an affidavit submitted on Tuesday, the ASI's superintending archaeologist (Bhubaneswar circle) H.A. Naik said the state works department's chief engineer (buildings) had already been asked to undertake "necessary repairs to lightening arrester atop the main temple of the Jagannath temple".

The court has been monitoring repair of the lightening arrester after amicus curiae N.K. Mohanty expressed concern over its condition before it and pointed out that it needed immediate repair. On March 6, the court had sought an affidavit on or before March 13 "as to by which date necessary lightening arrester work of the temple structure would be completed". "It has been decided that the time to be taken for completion of the work would be approximately 20 to 25 days from March 14," Naik said in the affidavit.