Introduction

Integrated Management of the Kangla Fort as a heritage resource requires a paradigm shift in thinking and approach. This is because it essentially involves a much broader base of management, human resources and funding mechanisms – all to be coordinated under the auspices of the Kangla Charter, later to become legislation in the form of the Archaeological park Act, along with it’s Rules and Regulations. As has been established in Chapter 4, the existing core management system needs to be augmented by cultural resource protection and management.

The Database of Inventories has brought to light the diverse cultural resources of the Kangla Fort. These include the archaeological, architectural, natural, sacred and religious entities. The different categories of the resources require a new approach to management that is described in the following pages. The restructuring of the management process for Kangla Fort, both at the decision making level and at the implementation level has also been described in this chapter. This is required to ensure coordination of execution of routine tasks and accommodate various stakeholders that will bring Kangla Fort within a participatory management framework. Finally the restructuring of the funding process is examined with the aim of proposing a stable mechanism to ensure that the conservation and development of Kangla Fort does not get sidelined due to political exigencies.

I. CULTURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION

Mainstream development of the Kangla Fort will require protection measures to be taken if its cultural values and significance are to be passed on to the next generation. The protection for Kangla Fort Archaeological Park and its contents is proposed within the existing framework of legislation, which are mainly two:

Manipur Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1976 (referred to in this document as the State Monuments Act)

This Act is responsible for the protection and preservation of historical monuments, archaeological sites and remains that exist in the state of Manipur.

The gazette notification no. 515, Imphal dated Wednesday, October 23, 1991 published by the government of Manipur declares the Kangla Fort including the moat comprising an area of 236.84 acres exclusive of the existing swimming pool under Dag No. 6017 as protected under the State Monuments Act.

Manipur Town and Country Planning Act, 1975

The Manipur Town and Country Planning Act, 1975 is responsible for regulating the development process within the state of Manipur. The process of regulation and development take place through a series of plans prepared by the Town and Country Planning department. These include the Master plan, Zonal plans and the Development Schemes. The Kangla Fort

Archaeological Park Scheme/ Concept Development Plan is a statutory scheme passed under this Act.

The State Monuments Act

• may be used to bring more heritage components of various categories under protection
• may be used to monitor and maintain standards for the entire Archaeological Park Area and its contents
• may be used to handle protection for individual resources but being rigid it does not allow for change and keeps heritage out of reach of the people of Manipur. However the sacred and religious nature of the Fort will require people to come to worship. Also such a large number of cultural entities, individually protected only by the State Monuments Act located in a vacuum (as the space around is not protected) will increase illegal encroachments or cause neglect and blight.

The Manipur Town and Country Planning Act

• may be used to introduce discreet and judicious usage and activities especially for the buildings that need less protection
• may be used for provisions like recreation and visitor amenities, pathways, walking and jogging tracks etc. so that the Park becomes accessible to the community of Imphal.
• may be used to protect the sectors as this act is effective for spatial and area protection.
• may be used to submit the proposal (CDP) as a statutory Planning scheme as it allows for changes.
• may be used to form the Park Committee as part of the statutory planning scheme and the public notice process to involve the public

Proposed Protection Levels

Under the framework of the two acts, protection and therefore management for Kangla Fort is proposed at three levels – at the level of the park itself (entity), at the sector level, and the level of individual contents of the park. These are described as follows:

The Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Entity

The entire park entity with all its identified and unidentified cultural components, an area of 236.84 Acres, is a protected entity, protected by the State Monuments Act.

The Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Sectors

For the protection and management of the park the park entity has been spatially divided into eight sectors based on specific cultural contents and significance (Ref. Sector Map). These are proposed to be protected by the State Monuments Act and in some areas the Manipur Town and Country Planning Act. Each of the sectors has specific guidelines, which states the proposed allowable and prohibited uses and interventions.

The Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Contents

Either the Manipur Monuments Act or the Town and Country Planning Act protect each Cultural Content of the Kangla Fort Archaeological Park though they are managed by varying agencies.

Cultural Resource Protection and Management Plan

The protection and management of the cultural resources will not happen automatically as a result of existing legislation and the protection levels proposed above. A cultural resource protection and management plan has to be prepared for the Archaeological Park as a whole, by the Department of Archaeology, which has been identified as the nodal agency for the park for the present. This document is a starting point as the heritage resources have already been identified, inventoried and protection level proposed in the Charter (refer Chapter 5). The Department of Archaeology has to take this document and produce a working plan under which the proposed management of cultural resources is established – to be reviewed and modified as required every year.

II. HUMAN RESOURCES IN INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT

As outlined in the description of the core management system in Chapter 4 – there are several agencies and committees required to manage a cultural resource as complex as that of Kangla Fort. This section therefore outlines the duties and responsibilities of the organizations, institutions & agencies involved in the Concept Development Plan. (Refer diagram on Human Resources Framework)

Committees And Bodies Under The Ministry Of Culture

Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Committee (KFAP Committee) is the decision-making body for all the management, maintenance, management actions and the projects of Kangla Fort Archaeological Park. It is a group of functionaries, whose guidance ensures that the development of Kangla Fort as an Archaeological Park remains in consonance with the Charter and the guidelines of the Concept Development Plan. The decisions regarding any action to be taken within the KFAP shall be taken by the KFAP Committee within the rules and regulations of the legislation and shall be final and binding. The KFAP Committee shall consist of:

1. Minister of Culture, Manipur
2. Culture Secretary, Manipur
3. Finance Secretary, Manipur
4. Planning Secretary, Manipur
5. Urban Development Secretary, Manipur

Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Steering Committee (KFAP Steering Committee) is a group of heritage experts and eminent citizens, including representatives of religious groups and elected representatives. The purpose of the Steering Committee is to offer both expertise, advice and steer the implementation of the Concept Development Plan towards a balance between conservation and development – and in the process protect the interests of all stakeholders. While the Chairperson of the Steering Committee should be an eminent citizen and representative of the Public, the Committee itself is to include at least one eminent member of each of the following descriptions:

1. Historian of Manipur
2. Theatre personality
3. Natural History / Ecology expert
4. Sociologist
5. Newspaper editor (media representative)
6. Town Planner

The KFAP Committee may choose to add members to the Steering Committee as it sees fit or on recommendation of the KFAP Team or Steering Committee itself. The steering committee should be elected once in two years, and a steering committee member may continue in his or her position for consecutive terms. In this sense the steering committee is like the board of directors of a company.

Though the KFAP Committee is the final decision-making body, it will be obliged to take into account all the recommendations made by the Steering Committee and will have to provide a satisfactory response to the Steering Committee should it decide not to implement the recommendations made by the Steering Committee.

The Steering Committee may choose to invite members of the public and other experts to it’s meetings in the interests of the Concept Development Plan.

Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Team (KFAP Team) is the group of experts in conservation and landscape who authored this report. It is a team comprising of three professionals experts who have had a extensive experience in the fields of Conservation, Landscape And Ecology and Planning respectively. They have worked together to ensure that the Concept Development Plan integrates these disciplines as a unified scheme, and examines the long-term protection and management of the KFAP resources as well as the potential for new projects within the ambit of both the State Monuments Act and the Town Planning Act.

Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Technical group (KFAP Technical Group) is a group of experts in archaeology and conservation created for the implementation of the Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Project. The Technical Group is to be created from the Department of Archaeology, Ministry of Culture, Manipur, and headed by the Superintendent Archaeology.

The Technical Group can also get professional expertise from outside to develop an interdisciplinary team - to deal with the diverse conservation needs established by the Concept Development Plan. Many of these expertise do not exist presently within the Manipuri Government.

Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Task Force (KFAP Task Force) is a multi-disciplinary body of representatives of concerned authorities to be created to oversee the implementation of the Concept Development Plan and to ensure coordination between various agencies. The KFAP Task Force shall include:

1. Culture Secretary, Manipur
2. Director, Department of Archaeology, Manipur
3. Superintendent, Department of Archaeology, Manipur
4. Director, Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development, Govt. of India
5. Chief Conservator of Forests, Manipur
6. Chief Town Planner, TCPO, Manipur
7. Director, Horticulture Department, Manipur
8. Director, PWD Manipur

Other Departments And Institutions:

These have a specified role for very specific aspects and tasks in the implementation of the Kangla Fort Archaeological Park Projects. These are local Departments and Institutions from within the Manipur State.

Department of Town Planning the Manipur Government Town Planning Department is the custodian of the Master Plan is an important partner in the realization of the Concept Development Plan as an Archaeological Park Scheme.

Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IOBASD), Imphal, whose primary responsibility shall be the execution and maintenance of special landscapes, namely the Orchidarium, and the Garden of Medicinal Plants. The Institute shall also determine the species of trees to be planted at Kangla Fort.

Department of Life Sciences, University of Imphal, Manipur, which shall be involved in the design, execution, and maintenance of the Aquatic Pond Garden.

Public Works Department of Manipur (PWD), whose primary responsibility shall be the construction and maintenance of roads, paths, and fences in Kangla Fort, as well as any Schedule of Rates construction required by the Concept Development Plan. The PWD will also be responsible for dismantling structures and buildings not required in the Concept Development Plan.

Public Health Engineering Department of Manipur (PHED), whose primary responsibility shall be the one-time desilting and cleaning of the ponds and moats in Kangla Fort, and their subsequent annual maintenance.

State Electricity Board of Manipur (MSEB), whose primary responsibility shall be the provision of electricity to the various facilities in Kangla Fort, maintenance of distribution infrastructure, and protection of the same in future visitor-intensive areas. The State Electricity Board shall also be responsible for removal or relocation of overhead electrical utilities no longer required.

Forest Department, Manipur whose primary responsibility shall be the planting and initial maintenance of trees at Kangla Fort. All trees planted by the forest department shall only be of species recommended by Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development.

Horticulture Department, Manipur whose primary responsibility shall be the development and maintenance of gardens at Kangla Fort. The horticulture department shall develop and maintain the gardens in consonance with the guidelines for horticulture established in the Concept Development Plan.

Tourism Department, Manipur whose primary responsibility shall be the development and maintenance of the Camping Ground at Kangla Fort.