Saving Jer Mahal
Government is delaying a notification that could protect the building from demolition
Afortnight ago, tenants of Jer Mahal at Dhobi Talao met the new owners of the building to decide the fate of the century-old structure, which is listed as a heritage building under the citys municipal laws.
The meeting was inconclusive because the tenants felt that the company that had purchased Jer Mahal two years ago, had no definite plans for the building. For its occupants, the indecisiveness of the meeting however, meant that the building which faces an uncertain future had an extra lease of life.
Jer Mahal, a cluster of six buildings and an annexe, is listed as a Grade-III heritage structure. Buildings under this category are culturally significant.