India reports encroachments at 414 national monuments

The Indian government has reported that 414 out of 3,688 ancient monuments and archaeological sites declared as being of national importance have experienced encroachments. Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat provided this information in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is tasked with the conservation and maintenance of these sites. The Minister noted that legal protection of a monument does not strictly require the government to own the land on which it sits.

To combat unauthorized activities, the ASI has completed the survey, geo-referencing, and digitization of monument boundaries. This data has been uploaded to the Bhuvan Portal, and efforts are underway to integrate this information with state land records through coordination with local revenue officials and state governments.