Lok Sabha Question No. 5855 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Untraceable and Missing Protected Monuments and Archaeological Sites
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Shri G Lakshminarayana, Shri Appalanaidu Kalisetti

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5855

ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026

## UNTRACEABLE AND MISSING PROTECTED MONUMENTS AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES

## 5855. SHRI APPALANAIDU KALISETTI: SHRI G LAKSHMINARAYANA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of total number of centrally protected monuments and archaeological sites under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the number of State/UTprotected monuments in the country at present, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the  details  of  number  of  such  centrally  and  State/UT-protected  monuments/sites  which have been reported missing, untraceable, submerged, destroyed or otherwise unidentifiable during the last five years, year and State/UT-wise;
- (c) the reasons identified for such monuments/sites becoming untraceable, including urbanisation, encroachments, submergence due to reservoirs or dams, inadequat documentation or other factors;
- (d) the details of such monuments/sites in Andhra Pradesh, site-wise, along with the present status of each site; and
- (e) the  details  of  steps  taken/proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  to  locate,  restore, document, digitally map  and secure such monuments/sites, including the use of Geographic  Information  System  (GIS)  mapping,  satellite  imagery  and  digitisation  of records to prevent such occurrences in future?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) There  are  3686  protected  monuments  and  protected  areas  (Archaeological  sites)  across  the country,  which  are  looked  after  by  the  Archaeological  Survey  of  India  (ASI).  State/UT-wise details are given at Annexure.
- (b)& At present, no protected monument or protected area (sites) under the care and maintenance of
- (c) ASI is untraceable.
- (d)& Question does not arise.

(e)

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED   QUESTION NO.5855 FOR 30.03.2026.

STATE-WISE DETAILS OF PROTECTED MONUMENTS AND PROTECTED AREAS (SITES) UNDER THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA IN THE COUNTRY.

| Sl.No.   | Name of State / U.T.   |   Number of Protected Monuments and Protected Areas |
|----------|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh         |                                                 135 |
| 2.       | Arunachal Pradesh      |                                                  03 |
| 3.       | Assam                  |                                                  55 |
| 4.       | Bihar                  |                                                  70 |
| 5.       | Chhattisgarh           |                                                  46 |
| 6.       | Daman &Diu (U.T.)      |                                                  11 |
| 7.       | Goa                    |                                                  21 |
| 8.       | Gujarat                |                                                 205 |
| 9.       | Haryana                |                                                  91 |
| 10.      | Himachal Pradesh       |                                                  40 |
| 11.      | Jammu &Kashmir (U.T.)  |                                                  56 |
| 12.      | Jharkhand              |                                                  14 |
| 13.      | Karnataka              |                                                 506 |
| 14.      | Kerala                 |                                                  30 |
| 15.      | Ladakh (U.T.)          |                                                  15 |
| 16.      | Madhya Pradesh         |                                                 291 |
| 17.      | Maharashtra            |                                                 286 |
| 18.      | Manipur                |                                                  01 |
| 19.      | Meghalaya              |                                                  08 |
| 20.      | Mizoram                |                                                  02 |
| 21.      | Nagaland               |                                                  04 |
| 22.      | N.C.T. Delhi (U.T)     |                                                 170 |
| 23.      | Odisha                 |                                                  82 |
| 24.      | Puducherry (U.T.)      |                                                  07 |
| 25.      | Punjab                 |                                                  33 |
| 26.      | Rajasthan              |                                                 161 |
| 27.      | Sikkim                 |                                                  03 |
| 28.      | Tamil Nadu             |                                                 412 |
| 29.      | Telangana              |                                                  08 |
| 30.      | Tripura                |                                                  08 |
| 31.      | Uttarakhand            |                                                  43 |
| 32.      | Uttar Pradesh          |                                                 734 |
| 33.      | West Bengal            |                                                 135 |
| TOTAL    | TOTAL                  |                                                3686 |

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