Loose bricks in Delhi’s ambition to get world heritage city status
Sources told Newsline that officials had sought clarifications on the inter-linkage between various agencies involved
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The two areas listed in the proposal to UNESCO are Shahjahanabad and Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone (Source: Express Archives)
The capital’s bid to become a UNESCO-certified World Heritage city has hit a roadblock, after a UN cultural team expressed dissatisfaction over the details furnished about some of the 200 monuments that have been nominated by the government. The team was in the city last month for an official survey.
Sources told Newsline that officials had sought clarifications on the inter-linkage between various agencies involved in conservation such as Delhi Urban Arts Commission, Archaeological Survey of India and Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
Officials from the Ministry of Culture — which has been entrusted with the task of presenting Delhi’s case for a World Heritage City tag — admitted that “some additional information” was sought by the UNESCO team during its Delhi visit between October 8 and 10. The response was duly submitted to the international agency on November 3, an official said. The Ministry, however, expressed its inability to share any further details.
“We were asked to provide specific details on the role of various agencies in conserving some of the listed monuments,” an official from the Delhi Tourism department said, adding, “Conservation is not the only criterion for nomination. Delhi has a lot of historical and universal value as well.”
On the Ministry’s behalf, Delhi’s nomination dossier was prepared by the INTACH Delhi Chapter, under the leadership of A G K Menon, and was submitted to UNESCO earlier this year.
The two areas listed in the dossier are Shahjahanabad in Old Delhi and Lutyens’ Bungalow Zone. The 367-page document contended that Delhi is a city of “outstanding universal value” as it uniquely encompasses two stages in the country’s history — the Mughal Empire and the British rule.
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