Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act

The Indian government, in March 2023, announced plans to review the legal issues affecting construction-related activities around protected monuments and sites. This move is aimed at allowing infrastructure-related work while preserving the rich heritage of the country. In this article, you can read more about the current restrictions around heritage monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act and also the amendments announced. This topic is important for the IAS exam under the GS-1 paper.

About Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act is an important piece of legislation in India that aims to preserve and protect the country’s rich heritage and cultural assets. 

• The act was passed in 1958 and has since undergone several amendments to keep pace with changing times.

Overview of the AMASR Act

• The AMASR Act defines an “ancient monument” as any structure or building, cave, sculpture, inscription, or monolith that is of historical, archaeological, or artistic interest. 
• The act aims to protect such monuments and ensure their preservation for future generations. 
• It applies to all monuments that are over 100 years old, whether they are in public or private ownership.
• The act prohibits any construction activity or alteration to the protected area around ancient monuments without the approval of the National Monuments Authority (NMA). 
• This protected area is defined as a 100-metre radius around the monument, and a regulated area extends up to 200 metres beyond that.
• The NMA is the regulatory authority responsible for implementing the AMASR Act. 
  • It is a statutory body that oversees the protection and preservation of ancient monuments and archaeological sites in India. 
  • It is empowered to grant permission for any construction or developmental activity within the protected and regulated areas.

Current restrictions on construction activity near protected monuments:

• The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act prohibits construction within a 100-metre radius of protected monuments and has strict regulations for construction permits in an additional 200-metre radius beyond that. 
• All 3,696 protected monuments in the country fall under this prohibition and require specific approval from the National Monuments Authority for any construction or related activity in these areas.

Expected Amendments to the AMASR Act

In the upcoming Monsoon Session od Parliament, it is expected that a new AMASR Amendment Bill will be introduced.

• According to officials, the current Act restricts many areas that could be utilized for developmental and infrastructure-related work. 
• The proposed amendments aim to provide some relief in these restricted zones, particularly for smaller monuments like statues, cemeteries, and cannons, where the protected area may not need to be as large.
• The proposed amendments to the AMASR Act aim to provide some flexibility in the protected zones, particularly for smaller monuments that don’t require a large restricted area for their preservation.

Future of restrictions for UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• However, for UNESCO World Heritage Sites (India has 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites), these restrictions may stay as construction in regulated and prohibited zones may impact these heritage structures. 
• The Indian government aims to comply with UNESCO’s concept of protecting all world heritage sites.

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