Three groups of monuments from Karnataka made it to the tentative list of the World Heritage sites last year, but a major challenge remains in preparing management plans in a way that blends livelihood needs of the local community with conservation.
The Monuments and Forts of Deccan Sultanate (covering Kalaburagi, Bidar and Vijayapura), Monuments of Srirangapatna Island Town and Sacred Ensembles of The Hoysalas (Belur and Halebid temples) were included in the UNESCO tentative list last year. They should be on the list for at least one year before fresh submissions can be made for inclusion in the final list.
The tricky issue has been taking local people into confidence. “People resist any regulations that impinge on their livelihood. This was proved in Srirangapatna where bandhs and strikes were called to protest the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010, which bars any development within 100 m of a protected monument,” said N.S. Rangaraju, former professor, Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore.
In Somanathapur, people living close to the protected monument did not get permission to rebuild or repair their houses, resulting in agitation.
Conservation plansC.G. Betsurmath, Commissioner, Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, told The Hindu that conservation plans for the three sites were in preparation and would take a comprehensive view of livelihood issues and other challenges before its submission to the UNESCO World Heritage Advisory Board.
A conservation plan should anticipate developments that could alter the site landscape and come out with strategies that are not in conflict with economic imperatives of the local people, according to experts. Prof. Rangaraju said conflict could be resolved by making local community partners in development. “They should be the main beneficiaries of tourism boom and that is the key to success,” he said.
