A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed at the Orissa High Court seeking judicial intervention to ensure adequate potable water at the popular tourist spot Konark sun temple, which records large footfall every day.
As harsh summer is fast approaching, the authorities concerned ought to mitigate the drinking water issues inside the Sun Temple at Konark. The Reverse Osmosis Plant inside or outside of the Sun Temple needs to be installed. There should be the installation of water dispenser points for the drinking water needs of tourists, visitors, and staff of the Archaeological Survey of India.
There is also an urgent need to restore and rejuvenate the abandoned well standing inside the Sun Temple, Shivsankar Mohanty, a practicing lawyer of the High Court stated in the petition.
The 13th-century Sun Temple, intricately built as a huge solar chariot with 12 pairs of ornamented wheels dragged by seven horses, is a hugely popular tourist destination of the State. The Sun Temple in Konark is an ASI-protected monument accorded UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.