Wednesday, July 20 2005 15:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today (July 20, 2005) granted three weeks to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to respond to a petition seeking protection of world heritage sites and monuments, including the tomb of Ghalib, the renowned poet of Medieval period situated within the Nizamuddin complex, in the capital.

The order to this effect came from a Bench comprising Justice S N Variava and Justice A R Lakshmanan as the ASI and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) failed to reply to the notices on an application filed by noted environmentalist lawyer M C Mehta alleging large scale encroachment around the monument situated at the Hazrat Nizamuddin complex.

The application filed in the pending Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has also sought protection of monuments in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, Lal Gumbad, Firoz Shah Kotla, Mubarak Shah tomb and 1857 battleground.

Mehta has sought repair and restoration of the curved marble screen that was surrouding Amir Khusro's shrine and constitution of an expert committee/commission comprising independent expert in the field of art and culture to visit the world heritage site and protected monuments in Delhi and submit an independent report with measures to be undertaken for their safety, preservation and protection.

Meanwhile, the court was informed that illegal structures around the mausoleum of Zauq in Paharganj area of city have been removed. The poet Zauq was contemporary of Ghalib. It was on the court's order his mausoleum was repaired and restored.

The court was informed that MCD demolished the illegal structures built around the mausoleum by one Amir Ali.