Patna: A controversy has broken out over the ongoing archaeological excavation at the historic Balirajgarh site in Bihar’s Madhubani district. In an urgent letter to the director general of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Bihar chapter of Intach has sought an immediate suspension of the excavation, alleging that monsoon rain is damaging the ancient site.The excavation, a long-standing demand of locals and heritage enthusiasts, began three months ago under the ASI’s Patna circle. However, what was expected to be a major archaeological exercise has now sparked concerns over the preservation of the site.In the letter, Shiv Kumar Mishra, former museum director of Mithila Lalit Sangrahalaya and co-convener of Intach Bihar, said the historic “ring well”, regarded as a significant discovery, had been badly affected by rain. According to him, the excavation has continued during the monsoon without sheds or other protective measures at the site, which is believed to be linked to the Iron Age.The letter says intermittent rain over the past month has disrupted operations. Despite the weather, excavation allegedly continued without adequate protection for the trenches. It claims that artefacts preserved underground for centuries are being damaged after exposure and that crucial layer markings used by archaeologists to determine the age of soil and antiquities have suffered because of waterlogging.Intach has also criticised the handling of the project and urged the ASI to transfer responsibility for the excavation to the Patna excavation branch under experienced archaeologists.Asked about the issue, Sanjay Jha, JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP and chairman of the parliamentary committee on transport, tourism and culture, said he had been personally monitoring the excavation work with the Union ministry of culture. Jha said there had been some issues due to rainfall ahead of the monsoon and that he had spoken to the ASI in this regard. He added that the excavation had been stopped for the time being.“The excavation which is going on is a big achievement. The kind of system being discovered like the drainage and stairs, it can be like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro,” he said.A senior official associated with the ASI’s Patna circle rejected the criticism, saying no excavation site in the country uses sheds because the areas involved are too vast and such arrangements are impractical. He said excavation is carried out layer by layer and all antiquities are protected.Speaking about the ring well, he said, “The discovery is a big achievement and should be taken in a positive way.”
