ASI team checks Ashokan pillar

NEW DELHI: A day after TOI highlighted how the Ashoka pillar in Ferozeshah Kotla was damaged and the inscriptions fading, a few officers from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) turned up at the site.However, sources said that the top brass of ASI did not accompany the officials and will visit the site only on Monday.
A decision regarding a complete investigation on the cause of the flaking and future course of action will be taken next week.
The culture ministry is also looking into the issue and sources in the ministry said it was critical to assess the reasons behind the ancient pillar suddenly flaking and eroding.
“Investigating the reasons is of utmost importance, so that preventive action can be taken.It's curious as to why a pillar, which survived for over 2000 years, is suddenly deteriorating.We will also need to assess how long the flaking has been hap pening and why it was not reported earlier,“ said ministry sources.
ASI clearly has a tough job on their hands to rectify the damage to the pillar. Experts said that withering could be due to chemical treatments.
“The most unfortunate part is that the ancient inscriptions on the Ashoka pillar that have faded are permanently gone. They cannot be recreated. The only thing that ASI can do now is to prevent any further damage,“ said a conservationist.