TOI : Will Heritage Become History? : Sept 13, 2007
WILL HERITAGE BECOME HISTORY?
Government Departments Have Vetoed Heritage Panel Recommendations Whenever
They Have Been Inconvenient
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Mumbai: Political heavyweights pushing for the Crawford Market redevelopment
plan – passed within a minute without a discussion by corporators on
Tuesday – may hit a roadblock when it is placed before the Mumbai Heritage
and Conservation Committee for its approval.
The 138-year-old market has been listed as a grade-I heritage precinct
and there could be impediments as the plan includes a 11-storey commercial
tower that will be the heritage market building’s neighbour.
But there are several instances of the heritage committee, comprising
urban historians, architects and heritage conservationists, being bypassed
and overruled by municipal commissioners and the state urban development
department. Those who are ramming through the redevelopment proposal could
find a similar route to get past the heritage panel’s objections, some civic
officials and activists apprehend.
A recent instance when the committee was rendered ineffective came when
Bombay High Court wanted more space in its annexe building, located in a
grade-IIA heritage area. Rules stipulated that no alteration or addition
could be made on the exterior of such buildings. “But the state government
amended the regulation and issued a notification allowing additions and
expansions in grade-IIA buildings,” former heritage committee chairperson D
M Sukthankar said.
The committee was again bypassed in 2004 when the state government
allowed a 14-storey building inside the Raj Bhavan complex (grade-IIB
heritage), housing ancient colonial-style bungalows, green lawns and a
beach. But the urban development department redefined Raj Bhavan’s boundary
so that part of the 50-acre estate fell outside the ambit of heritage status
and could accommodate the new tower. Heritage members protested against the
plan but the department delinked part of the property and categorised the
area north of the public gate as nonheritage. Former civic chief Karun
Srivastava allowed hoardings on buildings on Marine Drive, a proposed
heritage precinct, after overruling the committee’s decision about four
years ago. The Bombay High Court quashed his “patently perverse” order.
But, since Marine Drive has still not been granted the status of a heritage
precinct, the Supreme Court has stayed the Bombay High Court order.
The committee also rejected plans for a public toilet block outside CST
this year but the civic chief allowed the urinal to come up on a traffic
island.
There are now fears that similar pulls and pressures are going to start
again as a few hundred crores are at stake.
THE HERITAGE COMMITTEE
GENESIS
The Heritage Regulations were framed and gazetted on 20 February 1991.
Objections and suggestions were invited from citizens after that and the
regulations finally came into force in 1995.
The regulations classify buildings, structures, fountains, open plots
and precincts into three grades (I, II and III) to protect them.
COMPOSITION
Nine members make up the committee, which has always been chaired by a
retired bureaucrat and includes heritage conservationists, architects,
structural engineers, the chief architect of the public works department and
a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officer.
POWERS
The panel has its share of backers and critics. Critics say frequent
political appointments have made i a toothless tiger; the committee has
often been packed with people associated with developers or those who have
designed the interiors of politicians’ bungalows and public buildings. But
there are those who credit the committee with stepping in when individual
proposals have come up for making alterations in listed heritage buildings.
TENURE
The committee members have a threeyear tenure. VETO POWER
BOMBAY HIGH COURT NEED FOR SPACE The Bombay High Court wanted more space in
the annexe building, located in a complex listed as a grade-IIA heritage
area, and an additional floor was planned in the existing building. THE
RULES Rules stipulated no alteration or addition could be made on the
exterior facade of such buildings. WHAT WAS DONE The state government
amended the heritage regulation and issued a notification that allowed such
additions and expansions in a grade-IIA building.
RAJ BHAVAN TOWERING OVER HERITAGE A 14-storey building was proposed inside
the Raj Bhavan complex to house staffers. THE PROBLEM But there was a
problem: the complex had ancient colonial-style bungalows, lush green lawns
and a sandy beach and was one of the last of the city’s heritage enclaves,
having grade-IIB heritage status. WHAT WAS DONE The state urban development
department redefined Raj Bhavan’s boundary so that part of the 50-acre
estate fell outside the ambit of the heritage status; and, when heritage
panel members protested against the plan, the department delinked part of
the property and categorised the area north of the public gate as
non-heritage so that the building proposal did not have to go before the
committee for clearance.
PUBLIC TOILET BLOCK NEED FOR A LOO The civic authorities felt that a modern
public toilet block was a necessity near CST. THE PROBLEM The heritage
committee rejected the plan as the space was part of a heritage precinct.
WHAT WAS DONE The BMC commissioner overruled the heritage committee’s
objections.
WAITING FOR NEW NEIGHBOURS: The BMC proposal says new highrises can coexist
with the Crawford Market heritage structure
Publication:Times Of India Mumbai; Date:Sep 13, 2007; Section:Times City;
Page Number:4