- Two ancient water tanks were discovered during excavation of ADB-financed Jaipur Metro Line 1B. This resulted in additional measures to dismantle the tanks and recreate one of the tanks above ground.
- The discovery of two ancient water tanks during excavation of ADB-financed Jaipur Metro Line 1B started an archaeological restoration with a museum in the station displaying discovered artifacts.
- The underground ADB-financed Jaipur Metro Line 1B was safely constructed through Jaipur’s famous pink city between Chandpole and Badi Chaupar.
Construction of the Jaipur Metro Line 1B project financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) was completed in 2019 and operation of the metro started in September 2020. The underground metro line which had a total length of 2.4 km runs under the famous pink city of Jaipur between Chandpole and Badi Chaupar.
The project had to take extensive measures to avoid impacts on the heritage structures. After initiating construction of the metro line in 2014, two ancient water tanks and several underground canals were discovered. This resulted in the project taking many additional measures to carefully dismantle the tanks and canals and recreate one of the two tanks above ground.
Transcript
Abha Narain Lambah
Conservation Architect
Jaipur is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This is one of the finest planned cities of India.
Essential to the survival of these crafts and to the survival of the inner city of Jaipur was a need to rationalize traffic and to reduce the traffic congestion.
Nihal Chand Goel
Former Chairman & Managing Director, JMRC
The Jaipur Metro Rail project was planned in 2010. It was supposed to have two lines. One going east–west, the other going north–south. The east–west line was called, “Phase 1.”
Rahul Goswami
General Manager, JMRC
Talking about Phase 1B, it is an extension to the already existing 1A, which is an elevated corridor that connects the outer part to the core of the city, which is the “walled city” area.
Vijay Gupta
Former Executive Director, JMRC
That project was costing around INR 1000 crore ($240 million). And for that amount, we didn't have sufficient funds with the state government. We approached the Asian Development Bank.
Karma Yangzom
Principal Environmental Specialist, ADB
Asian Development Bank's Safeguard Policy covers three areas. For the Jaipur Metro project, it was mainly the Environment Safeguards requirement which was triggered because of the presence of the Physical Cultural Resources above the metro alignment.
Nihal Chand Goel
Former Chairman & Managing Director, JMRC
It was a big challenge to safeguard the heritage.
Abha Narain Lambah
Conservation Architect
So we began with a detailed documentation.
Shashank Mehendale
Principal Consultant
Each and every building was mapped for its hazard.
Rahul Goswami
General Manager, JMRC
Once that was done, we kept the whole report onto the public portal, for the public to view and comment on it. So we had a very robust redressal system.
Abha Narain Lambah
Conservation Architect
We found old photographs that actually showed the Choti Chaupar with something that seemed like a stepwell.
We changed the design of the metro station. And took it 6 meters below what was originally planned allowing that 6 meters to be able to save the stepwell.
And then, we began what is a unique archaeological excavation. Each one of the marble 'gaumukhs' was moved into the Albert Hall Museum.
And each piece of stone as we found it was documented very thoroughly and taken into storage.
And then came the process of anastylosis, where we brought back each stone.
We laid it right back as it was, and recreated these stepwells and the kunds [tanks]back in the heart of the chaupars.
Karma Yangzom
Principal Environmental Specialist, ADB
They even created a museum in the station of Choti Chaupar.
Rahul Goswami
General Manager, JMRC
So we had one particular level which was brought in, which was Cover Level.
So at Cover Level we have a kund, at the top you have the road running, under Cover level is the Concourse level.
Abha Narain Lambah
Conservation Architect
And that area, we all decided should be the repository of the discovery.
Rahul Goswami
General Manager, JMR
I believe that this project will be an example for other projects across the world.
Vijay Gupta
Former Executive Director, JMRC
So hats off to the whole ADB team.
They created the team spirit which was very handy in tough times.
