Lothal Cave-In: Tragedy Strikes Young PhD Researcher
- Inarch Center
- Nov 28, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 30, 2024
A 25-year-old PhD scholar of climate science, Surabhi Verma, at IIT Delhi lost her life in a landslide occurred at the Lothal, one of the major Harappan archaeological sites in Gujarat. Her professor Yama Dixit, who was leading the study, had fallen too. Rescue work began as soon as the team heard loud cries for help. Although Prof. Dixit was saved but by the time Surabhi received the help, she had already died.
The excavation was part of an ongoing research work of IIT Delhi and IIT Gandhinagar aimed at augmenting knowledge on paleoclimatology at Lothal. The trench, being dug with a JCB, created a very narrow trench. The excavated spot falls within the 100-meter "prohibited" limit of the ASI. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958 prohibits excavation and other activities around protected monuments.
The Vadodara circle of ASI has dispatched a team, led by Dr. Abhijit Ambedkar, to investigate the incident further. According to Dr. Ambedkar, the ASI has no record of this team seeking permission for excavation at Lothal. However, he also mentioned that since this was not truly an archaeological excavation, ASI's permission was not mandatory.
The 4,000-year-old archaeological site is located about 20 kilometers from the nearest police station, Koth. Due to this distance, the police took around 15 minutes to reach the accident site. An Accidental Death report is being filed by the police. Additionally, they have cited the absence of a professional archaeologist. In fact, the police were called to the site by the locals.
Currently, with further investigations underway, Surabhi's body has undergone a postmortem and has been taken back to Uttar Pradesh by her family. In their official statement, IIT Gandhinagar mentioned providing "local support" to IIT-D, which conducted the study.
This incident is a reminder of the need to strengthen existing measures to prevent loss of life in academic research. It highlights the lack of expertise employed by the team and necessitates increased vigilance by local authorities and the use of proper safety equipment.
Source: The News Indian Express
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