Unnerved by a stinging court order that calls for an immediate clean-up of the surroundings, officials of the Archaeological Survey of India have already got to work. On Friday, stone blocks that match the colour of the stones inside the caves were being laid on the entrance. All this in preparation for Saturday’s meeting of the Heritage Committee and the ASI.

The work is part of an ASI tender floated in June 2007. Valued at Rs 3,08,198, it is meant to remove debris, provide bat-proof mesh and lay a stone pathway for the cave site. “We began work on September 24,” says an ASI site officer (civil) admitting that the court order had infused fresh life into the project.

But work is far from complete. A colony of bats await any visitor at the entrance, which with its fissured tunnel looks more like a walled nullah. Barely 2 metres away are a clutch of settlements—these have led the court to direct the state urban development, revenue and home departments to “issue instructions to the respective authorities to extend all possible cooperation and logistic support to ASI for removing the unauthorised structures and illegal occupants from the prohibited zone of 100 meters from the caves.”

The Jogeshwari caves today is a far cry from what it was—even till….years ago, there were at least 100 visitors daily.

After navigating the bat-infested entrance, there is a huge hall with 20 pillars with the Jogeshwari Devi temple at the centre and four other temples—that of Lord Shiva (Jogeshwari), Datta, Ganpati and Hanuman—in smaller, adjoining caves. The carved figures on the cave walls are defaced and moss-laden.

Naturally, Baban Pujari— among the 20th generation of unofficial caretakers and temple priests—is disturbed. “The dwarpals (watchmen) carved on both sides of the temple entrances have broken hands and legs. The figures of deities are now defaced. No one cares to conserve,” says Baban.

A little distance inside, there is a full-fledged yagna going on. “It’s to bring luck for the family who is conducting it,” adds one among the five priests. Of course, there are no fire extinguishers in the cave. Nor is there any ventilation. What if?

No one knows. No one cares.

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 disallows any kind of activity that may cause or is likely to cause damage to any part of the monument. “But we were never told this,” clarifies Baban who maintains the cave is only a “temple” and the yagna “an accompanying religious activity”.

GS Narasimhan, superintending archaeologist, ASI, agrees that yagnas aren’t allowed inside the caves, but pleads helplessness. “It’s a temple and denying people permission would be hurting their religious sentiments,” he says.

All along, the ground is wet, dotted with several puddles. The source is the seepage through the walled periphery of the caves. Baban says it’s a natural stream. But on closer look, it’s confirmed that it’s sewage water flowing out of the settlements lining the caves.

According to the 1958 Act, 200 metres around the monument is supposed to be kept clear of any sort of mining or construction activity. That’s a worry now among local residents. “If the rule is to be followed we have around 1 lakh residents staying both in multi-storied buildings and slum areas which will fall inside the zone,” says Sudarshan Veshwikar, a diamond merchant staying in Raj Complex on Majas Road near the cave.

“If we have to be moved, then we need to be given alternative accommodation.”

The court has asked the Brihanmumbai Munic-ipal Corporation (BMC) to act in tandem with the ASI to remove encroachments. But the BMC passes the buck to the ASI.

“Since it is their protected structure they have to inform us about the irregularities,” says a civic official in the K-east ward encroachment removal squad.

The courts have spoken —it has sought a preliminary action taken report from the ASI within eight weeks. Now, it’s up to

the ASI and BMC to make that last-ditch attempt

to save the caves from

further ruin.