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MUMBAI -
HERITAGE
A Call For Conservation
Conservation of heritage buildings in Mumbai preserves a unique architectural character of their own and many request more involvement of private sector.
HARPREET KAUR
Mumbai, 26 July, 2004
Heritage Walks have become common, drawing the young, and old alike, besides professionals from the field of history and architecture. It helps us understand our cities and their past, sensitivising us to the need to protect these structures.
This vigilance has spurred many a state government and the central government to lay down regulations for structures graded (grades I, II, III ) as heritage, Grade I being the most important, famous and national structures. It is usually the Grade III that faces the brunt of destruction – ugly facades, frontal reconstruction or being pulled down entirely.
Creating lists of these structures has become the motto for conservators. The official listing of heritage structures has created more awareness among the general public. But this has also resulted in owners having several apprehensions about the regulations, particularly about the maintenance and restoration of their heritage properties.
Also, there is increasing confusion about new concepts such as TDR (transfer of development rights). A book on guidelines for heritage building owners published by the Urban Design Research Institute (UDRI) should be made available to all owners. Despite the listing, the recent Government ruling for de-listing Grade III heritage structures for demolition and reconstruction with almost no FSI limitation, (on the advice of any structural engineer who declares the building ‘dilapidated’), has resulted not only in a loss of many invaluable buildings but also in vandalism of heritage precincts such as Gamdevi, Matharpakady and Shirley Village in Bandra. The misuse of this ruling has resulted in several needle-like high-rises sprouting all over a city, which lacks basic infrastructure. The ruling urgently requires reversal” according to says Sharada Dwivedi, well-known conservationist.
Conservation lags in priority where there is a choice between preservation and creation of space for residence. Conservationists are of the opinion that more corporate participation is required to preserve heritage structures and many have discovered already that doing so adds value to their corporate dossier. Several companies are voluntarily adopting heritage sites and earmarking budgets for restoration and maintenance work – The Tata Group adopted Taj Mahal in 2001and providing an impetus to its upkeep; Humayun’s Tomb conservation was due to the contribution made by the Indo-British Anniversary Trust, Aga Khan Foundation and the Oberoi Group of Hotels; Madurai’s Meenakshi temple was restored with the help of the Chennai-based Sterling Group.
Currently, there are 3,595 monuments in the country that need attention. State governments have been pushed to formulate strategies to conserve these monuments including urban architecture.
As Tasneem Mehta, Convener, INTACH, Mumbai says, “We have to have our ground work ready - site surveys with maps, history, ownership records, pictures etc; All this is put as a study and in print, with just a couple of copies for MMRD and INTACH and the government. Then we make sure that legislation is in place. Unless we have the law with us, we cannot do anything. Once that is done, we go to the courts, get our ruling and then start the conservation work.”
Adds Sharada Dwivedi: “The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), with the exception of a few leading nationally protected monuments, and some which have been funded by foreign agencies or corporate houses (such as the Taj Mahal, Ajanta, Hampi, Shekhawati) has by and large neglected the conservation and restoration of architectural monuments under its charge. The ancient cave temples of Mumbai like in Jogeshwari and Mandapeshwar are prime examples of neglecting important heritage sites.
The Heritage movement in the country, though has taken firm root, mainly due to the tireless and continuing efforts of NGOs such as the Mumbai-based Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG), led by heritage stalwarts like Shyam Chainani and Debi Goenka, Bittu Sahgal’s Sanctuary and the UDRI headed by Executive Director Rahul Mehrotra and a Board of Trustees that includes industry leaders like Ratan Tata, Deepak Parekh, Keshub Mahindra, Cyrus Guzder and internationally renowned architect Charles Correa. They made Mumbai the first city in India to legislate Heritage Regulations in 1995. The NGOs have also ensured that legislation has been enacted vis-à-vis issues like CRZ, hill stations, natural heritage, cantonments etc. When lapses have taken place, citizens have successfully filed PILs, including the anti-hoardings issue raised by Anahita
Pundole.”
Says Sharada Dwivedi:: “In Bombay, NGOs have been extremely successful in the restoration of several individual buildings and precincts including the Petit and David Sassoon Library buildings, the Cowasji Jehangir Hall, Elphinstone College, the buildings around Horniman Circle, the Bandra and Worli seaface promenades, the Oval and Horniman Circle Garden etc. as also precincts such as the Kala Ghoda Art District. NGOs have found that collaboration with civic and governmental bodies and the corporate sector, as in the case of Elphinstone College where a tripartite agreement was signed between the Kala Ghoda Association (NGO), the Public Works Department and the Education Department, have proved to be highly successful.
Funding from the Members of Parliament, like Pritish Nandy’s contributions for the Kala Ghoda area and the JJ School of Art and Shabana Azmi’s funding of the Bandra promenade also have brought the necessary finances for restoration. Several corporate houses like the Tata Group, ICICI Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC etc have allocated vast sums of money for restoration of heritage sites. This trend ought to be encouraged.
The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) Heritage Wing has also commenced funding of restoration including Rs 25 lakhs for the David Sassoon Library. More funding should be provided by the Government for such bodies which are encouraging the promotion of heritage conservation.
Although some initiatives do not give the desired result - INTACH during 1994-96 spent eight million on Qila Mubarak, Patiala but the project was scrapped when a new government came to power in 1997. Some places have been abandoned after restoration. Sometimes, a push in the right direction works wonders - the government was dissuaded from building a highway close to Hampi ruins as UNESCO threatened to remove it from the World Heritage List.
Sharada Dwivedi says, “The need of the hour is to create more awareness among the largest group of heritage stakeholders – the citizens, so that they actively participate in the conservation movement. This can be done through books, such as the seven that Rachel Mortar and I have written on Bombay city, through magazines like Sanctuary or through regular lectures and seminars such as those conducted by UDRI in the city.”
“The Government and Municipalities should work in tandem with NGOs who are in a position to undertake restoration and conservation projects as also to update the authorities on illegalities, corruption, lacunae in legislation etc. More powers should be given to locally-constituted bodies like the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), which is merely an advisory body without any punitive powers, like a tiger without teeth,” she adds.
Abha and Brinda of Heritage Walks comment: “An interactive website perhaps would help as it becomes a message board. And also people concerned about heritage can write / mail. There is more policing and monitoring on heritage this way. NGOs have been attempting to create awareness of heritage preservation, but it’s the media who has been more active.”
HARPREET KAUR
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A
history of the geography of Mumbai / Bombay