Lucknow, April 28
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), carrying out excavation in Ayodhya to ascertain whether a mosque was built at the religious site atop a Hindu temple, today submitted its progress report to the high court, saying that it had not reached the natural soil and thus digging had to continue for more days.
“Digging so far has found concrete foundations in some trenches, dumping materials at some places, but is yet to hit the natural soil ... thus the digging should continue,” the ASI team leader said in the report.
The three-page report was submitted in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court.
The report specifies that digging has been carried out in 33 trenches.
The report has also sought permission to start digging at Ram Chabutra — the central place of the religious site. “The administration should provide adequate security to carry out digging at that place,” it said.
The report specified that the digging was being carried out on the basis of the preliminary ground penetrating survey carried out by an Indo-Canadian firm, Tojo Vikas International.
The excavation started on March 12. The excavation was to end by April 11, but the court gave an extension of five weeks.
Zaffaryab Jilani, counsel for the All-India Sunni Waqf Board, a plaintiff in this case, has asked the court to issue directives to the ASI to finish the work by May 10.
“The court has given a five-week extension to the ASI and its time limit ends on May 10. We have pleaded that the ASI should be asked to give its final report by that time,” Jilani told reporters here.
The court has asked the other parties to file their objections, if any, by May 1.
