File picture of Konark Sun Temple

Cuttack, March 14: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has prepared a Rs 1.53crore plan to provide “internal drainage system to prevent accumulation of rainwater” within the Sun Temple complex at Konark.

In a status report filed with Orissa High Court today, the ASI said the plan has been submitted to the ASI director-general for “sanction and release of funds”. Work on the project would start once the plan is approved.

In pursuance of a high court order, assistant solicitor general of India Saktidhar Das filed the status report in the form of an affidavit on behalf of Ashok Kumar Patel, the superintending archaeologist, ASI (Bhubaneswar Circle).

While giving its ruling on a PIL, the court had on November 22, 2010, directed the ASI to file a status report on steps taken to prevent waterlogging inside the Sun Temple within eight weeks.

Dilip Kumar Mohapatra, a member of Orissa High Court Bar, had filed the PIL after the temple premises remained waterlogged on October 6 and 7 last year.

Waterlogging, which was the result of heavy rainfall and poor drainage system, had forced tourists to move in knee-deep water on the temple premises for the second consecutive year.

The status report said the Rs 1.53crore plan for an internal drainage system was prepared on the basis of an inspection report submitted by superintending archaeological engineer R.S. Jamwal of ASI (conservation section), New Delhi, after a four-day assessment of the situation at the 13th century temple complex.

Jamwal’s report proposed to handle the waterlogging problem at the Konark temple in two ways — internal and external drainage of rainwater. Orissa government’s water resources department had proposed to provide drainage from outside the enclosure wall up to Patharbuha Nalla, which is about 2kmfrom the temple, and kept provision for Rs 1 crore for the purpose. “The director-general of ASI had already accorded the necessary approval,” the status report said.

Jamwal observed that lack of an effective drainage system in the temple had led to accumulation of rainwater.

To make the drainage system effective, the report had recommended constructions of new storm water drains along the northern side enclosure wall and partly along the eastern and western enclosure walls.

“The slope of the drain on the northern side will be towards the northwest corner of the enclosure wall from where the government of Orissa has already been permitted to make necessary arrangement for collection and disposal of storm water. On the southern side, the slope of the drain should be towards the gate in the southern wall,” Jamwal said.

Proper levels of the drainage system may be ensured so that the internal drainage is integrated with the external one, the report had stressed.