Bangalore, June 27: Karnataka High Court today ordered issue of notice to the state government on a public interest writ petition, praying for a direction to the respondent to forebear from proceeding with construction of the cable suspension bridge at Talavaraghatta on Tungabhadra river at Hampi, the seat of erstwhile Vijayanagar empire. The petitioners, Karnataka Itihasa Academy of Bangalore, said they were a registered society comprising reputed historians as members and the petition had been filed for preservation of the historical Hampi site. The site has not only been declared as a monument under the Karnataka ancient and historical monuments and archaeological sites and remains act but also as a world heritage site by UNESCO, the petitioners said. In view of the longstanding demand for construction of a bridge at Talavaraghatta which would link Hampi to Anegundi and further to Gangavathi and Bidar, government under "political pressure" sanctioned building of two bridges in 1992, flouting all norms relating to archaeological treasure, they alleged. The petitioners also stated that on a petition earlier, the high court had disposed it on the submission made by the government advocate that action was being taken for constituting Hampi world heritage area management authority and the state would prepare a plan through the authorities.
Bureau Report