HC seeks status report on encroachments around Kopeshwar temple in Kolhapur district

Kolhapur: The Bombay High Court's Kolhapur bench on May 8 asked the district collectors of Kolhapur and Sangli to identify all encroachments within the prohibited area of Kopeshwar Temple at Khidrapur in Shirol tehsil of Kolhapur district and submit a status report on or before June 15.The bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar and Justice Pravin S Patil also asked the central govt and the Archeology Survey of India (ASI) to take instructions with respect to maintenance of protected monument - Kopeshwar Temple "as there is immediate urgency to take corrective steps as provided under Section 14 of the said Act (the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958) before onset of monsoon." The court has listed the matter for next hearing on May 15.The bench was hearing a PIL filed by Kolhapur based activist Prashant Vasantrao Salunkhe seeking its directions for conservation and protection of the 12th century temple lying along the banks of Krishna River which forms the boundary between the two districts.Advocate Yuvraj Narvankar, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that during monsoon, the temple located along the banks of Krishna river suffers damage due to the floods.Petitioner sought directions to know present condition of the temple, steps taken upon the structural audit report prepared by IIT Bombay, the conservation works if any undertaken in last three years, the conservation works planned and budgeted for the next two years. The petitioner also have sought the details of utilisation of the funds allocated under 2021 MSRDC scheme for conservation of the temple. Around Rs 101 crore were allocated for the conservation works.