Thiruvananthapuram: A 'dilapidated' portion of Sreepadam Palace, a protected monument in the Fort Heritage Zone, has been demolished to facilitate the construction of the Heritage Walk project being implemented by the Kerala Tourism under the Swadeshi Darshan Scheme of the centre. The construction of the granite pavement and heritage walkway with glass roofs is going on at the East 'Nada' marring the glory of the 'Mathilakam' - the stone wall around the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple and the ancient Sreepadam Palace.
The Kerala State Archaeology Department, which is housed at the Sreepadam Palace, has not objected to the demolition of a structure of the palace. "There is an entry point from the palace to the temple which was used by the erstwhile royal family. The heritage walkway has been constructed between the temple wall and the palace after pulling down the structure," said an official. The granite pavement has been laid above the basement of the Sreepadam palace. According to officials, during heavy rain, the water enters the palace.
Member of Art and Heritage Commission N. Ramaswamy told DC that no impact assessment was carried out before launching the construction. "The entire Fort area is a heritage site and any activities involving construction or digging should be done under the supervision of the archaeology department. There are ruins underneath the land and laying granite pavement was totally against the recommendation of the commission. Groundwater recharging will not happen in the region," he said.
The centre has allotted Rs 74.33 crore for various tourism infrastructure facilities at the Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple. Ramaswamy said that the authorities were in a haste to spend the allotted fund. "A particular architectural or aesthetic form of construction which syncs with the existing heritage structures can be allowed at such sites. Alien structures are never allowed," he added.
An official of the State Nirmiti Kendra, the agency roped in by the Kerala Tourism to execute the project, said that the ongoing work would be finished by December. "The structure of the palace which was demolished was standing in the way of the planned walkway. It was already in a dilapidated condition," said the official.
