Local residents and shopkeepers of Ayad kept their businesses closed for half a day in order to express their concern and remonstration over the poor condition of Gangu Kund, a historic pond located at Maa Satiya.

Several hundred fishes have died due to polluted pond water over the last few days. Today, local residents reached the office of the Municipal Commissioner Satyanarayan Acharya to talk over the issue. Acharya ensured providing all necessary assistance to clean the pond and also install a fountain, which will help in keeping the water clean.

Finally, UMC workers cleaned the pond but question that arises is, on who is responsible of the deteriorating condition of the Gangu Kund. On one side, where UMC is supposedly neglecting its responsibility of taking care of the Kund, the Archeological Department is saying that all maintenance is the responsibility of the UMC.

“We need to take permission from Archeological Department to do anything at Gangu Kund” says Satyanarayan Acharya, commissioner UMC.

On the other side, Mubarak Hussain, superintendent of the Archeological Department and Museums said that the permission from their department is required only if any construction is needed on the sites under their purview.

“UMC has constructed an approach road at Gangu Kund and other than this, there is nothing so far that has been done by them,” said Hussain.

Adding further he said, “In 2006, UMC has constructed additional boundary wall on sewage lines, which has blocked the sewage of the Kund. They were given a notice to remove the block but nothing has been done yet.”

Residents and local groups maintaining the Kund held a meeting and discussed further necessary steps to preserve the heritage construction.