The sixth conference of the International Council of Biodeterioration of Cultural Property (ICBCP) was inaugurated today at Government Museum and Art Gallery, Sector 10, by Nek Chand Saini, director, Rock Garden.

“I am not in the habit of delivering lectures,” he said in his inaugural address, “so I wish success for the conference.”

The aim of the conference is to discuss advancements in the protection of cultural property from the vagaries of biological degradation. Cultural property comprises caves, historical buildings, wan paintings, wooden artefacts, stone sculptures, paper paintings, paper and palm-leaf manuscripts and textiles.

According to a survey done by Dr O.P. Agrawal, Director-General, INTACH’s Indian Council of Conservation Institute, Lucknow, and president of the ICBCP: “Almost 80 per cent of damage to heritage material is due to biological factors.”

The research generated by the ICBCP is then used to energies universities, museums and libraries to take up biodeterioration as a subject but Dr Agrawal says this is not happening. “This is still a nascent field of study where research and treatment must grow simultaneously,” he said.

In his address, Dr Hideo Arai, Chairman of the Advisory Committee, ICBCP reiterated, “Our strong initiative with respect to research and communication must be hastened. Apart from national dignitaries, who must play a crucial role in protection of cultural property, even the young generation should get involved.”

The organisation meets every three years with earlier conference sites being Lucknow (where the organisation was founded), Yokohoma, Bangkok, Teheran, Sydney and now Chandigarh after a gap of five years.

The research material generated will be compiled into articles and published in the form of a book as well, to serve as reference material for museums, libraries and universities.