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Group of Monuments at Hampi

India
Factors affecting the property in 2017*
  • Commercial development
  • Effects arising from use of transportation infrastructure
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Housing
  • Water (extraction)
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Lack of an operational site management plan (issue resolved)
  • Remains of a collapsed bridge (issue resolved)
  • Effects arising from the use of transportation infrastructure (Lack of traffic regulations limiting heavy duty vehicular traffic)
  • Ground transport infrastructure (Construction project for two cable-suspended bridges in the property; Construction project for the road widening near the ancient Kamalapur tank; Proposed bypass to divert heavy traffic from the property)
  • Commercial development (Demolition works in the Hampi bazaar near Virupaksha temple)
  • Water (extraction) (Irrigation for water intensive agriculture)
  • Housing
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2017

Total amount granted: 25,000 EUR under the France-UNESCO Co-operation Agreement for expert missions (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011).

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2017
Requests approved: 2 (from 2001-2003)
Total amount approved : 92,370 USD
Missions to the property until 2017**

2000: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission; 2001: expert technical assessment mission; 2003 and 2004: World Heritage Centre and expert Advisory missions; August 2005: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission; February 2006: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission; January 2007: Joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission; March 2009: UNESCO New Delhi Office technical mission to the property 

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2017

On 12 December 2016, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/241/documents. The report presents progress on a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions, as follows:

  • The report outlines progress with the implementation of the Actions Plans of the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) for the property and its buffer zone since January 2016. It also states that work is being initiated by the respective government departments to update Sectoral Plans (which underpin the IMP) in a time-bound manner;
  • A thorough management plan was developed for the Thungabhadra Otter Conservation reserve and the Daroji Bear Sanctuary. Such plans are intended to regulate any form of intrusive development or large-scale infrastructure projects that may have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of these eco-sensitive areas. The report stated that the State Government of Karnataka has declared the Thungabhadra Otter Conservation Reserve (located partly in the property and buffer zone) as an area of ecological importance;
  • Visual material has been provided on the Conservation Strategy for the Virupaksha Bazaar, in line with the abovementioned IMP, together with a concisely-written plan for the conservation of the bazaar in 2012-2015, including a map showing the locations of trial excavation pits at the bazaar;
  • With reference to the proposed Bypass Road to divert heavy traffic from the property, the State Party reports that its present alignment respects amongst others the restrictions imposed by the Forest Protection Act of 1972, and that it is located in the fringes of the buffer zone. A detailed visualization of the circulation plan was provided;
  • A thorough explanation of major and minor conservation works performed between 2010 and 2016 has been provided, along with a comprehensive set of maps for each monument. These show progress with the conservation of a number of monuments, including the Virupaksha Bazaar area, the Pushkarani temple, and monuments in the buffer zone;
  • Security: To protect cultural heritage from vandalism, a Hampi Protection Force has been established to patrol the property and its buffer zone.

On 12 September 2016, the World Heritage Centre has addressed a letter to the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO concerning the issue of road widening in the Kamalapur tank area, an activity that may negatively impact the OUV of the property. At the time of drafting this report, the State Party had not yet provided information or comments.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2017

The progress achieved by the State Party, as identified in the abovementioned state of conservation report, is welcomed, especially with regard to progress achieved with the implementation of the Integrated Management Plan and its Action Plans, the commitment to update Sectoral Plans, the strengthened protection of the property through the designation of areas of ecological importance, the Conservation Plan for the Virupaksha Bazaar, and the Circulation Plan and bypass road to divert traffic away from the property. It is also noted that the State Party made a commitment to protect the property and its buffer zone through the establishment of a special patrol.

However, the widening of a road in the Kamalapur tank area remains a source of concern, as it may have a negative impact the OUV of the property. It is therefore recommended that the World Heritage Committee urge the State Party to provide detailed information on this matter for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before making any decision that would be difficult to reverse.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2017
41 COM 7B.90
Group of Monuments at Hampi (India) (C 241bis)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B,
  2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.64, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
  3. Welcomes the progress achieved by the State Party, especially with regard to progress with the implementation of the Action Plans of the Integrated Management Plan (IMP), the strengthened protection in newly designated areas of ecological importance, the Conservation Plan for the Virupaksha Bazaar, and the Circulation Plan and bypass road to divert traffic away from the property;
  4. Notes the State Party’s commitment to update Sectoral Plans, which underpin the IMP, and requests the State Party to provide a timetable for the completion of this work;
  5. Acknowledges the progress made with the conservation of a number of monuments, including the Virupaksha Bazaar area, the Hanuman Shrine, the Pushkarani Temple, and monuments located in the buffer zone;
  6. Notes with concern the information received on proposals for widening of a road near the Kamalapur tank area, which may have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, and urges the State Party, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to provide detailed information concerning this project to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, before making any decision that would be difficult to reverse;
  7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2018, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above.
Draft Decision: 41 COM 7B.90

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/17/41.COM/7B,
  2. Recalling Decision 39 COM 7B.64, adopted at its 39th session (Bonn, 2015),
  3. Welcomes the progress achieved by the State Party, especially with regard to progress with the implementation of the Action Plans of the Integrated Management Plan (IMP), the strengthened protection in newly designated areas of ecological importance, the Conservation Plan for the Virupaksha Bazaar, and the Circulation Plan and bypass road to divert traffic away from the property;
  4. Notes the State Party’s commitment to update Sectoral Plans, which underpin the IMP, and requests the State Party to provide a timetable for the completion of this work;
  5. Acknowledges the progress made with the conservation of a number of monuments, including the Virupaksha Bazaar area, the Hanuman Shrine, the Pushkarani Temple, and monuments located in the buffer zone;
  6. Notes with concern the information received on proposals for widening of a road near the Kamalapur tank area, which may have a negative impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, and urges the State Party, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to provide detailed information concerning this project to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, before making any decision that would be difficult to reverse;
  7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2018, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above.
Report year: 2017
India
Date of Inscription: 1986
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (i)(iii)(iv)
Danger List (dates): 1999-2006
Documents examined by the Committee
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2016) .pdf
arrow_circle_right 41COM (2017)
Exports

* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


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