Structures that define city heritage under threat

The Maharashtra government has set aside Rs15 crore for conservation of heritage buildings in Mumbai, a city which boasts some of the most inspiring colonial structures in the country.

The Maharashtra government has set aside Rs15 crore for conservation of heritage buildings in Mumbai, a city which boasts some of the most inspiring colonial structures in the country. But decisions about the future of many of these buildings are apparently going more in favour of builders rather than the Heritage Committee. The trend is highlighted, for instance, by the historic Crawford Market turning into a hyper mall while other heritage sites are rapidly ceding to builders with little consideration for heritage preservation guidelines.

The faccedil;ade by Lockwood Kipling8217;s high-relief sculptures on the entrance of Crawford will be saved along with its clock tower and fountain, but the rest of the structure stands to change. Conservator and Heritage Committee member Abha Narain Lambah opines that if Crawford Market gets redeveloped then 8220;it will have a domino effect wiping out the sanctity of all the other heritage buildings because this is a Grade I building8221;.

Lambah also recommends a complete rewiring of government heritage structures. 8220;In 1995, the General Post Office had an electrical fire and, in 2000, the BMC building caught fire. These old buildings are sitting ducks for fire hazards 8211; one doesn8217;t need a terrorist attack for the buildings to catch fire,8221; she asserts.

Architect and urban designer Rohan Shivkumar recommends the protection and preservation of the old villages of the city. 8220;The Bandra gaothan is a historic precinct -the first agricultural settlements in Bombay. It is encroached by unregulated construction. High-rises hamper natural light and ventilation of community spaces,8221; says the 38-year-old designer who also teaches at the Kamla Raheja Institute. 8220;We need holistic development,8221; adds Shivkumar.

His former student, Siddharth Nadkarny, a graduate from Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture KRVIA, did his thesis on the Pali gaothan. He suggests community spaces between homes need to be enhanced; instead they are being encroached upon. 8220;People are unable to carry out repairs on their privately owned buildings, thus their dilapidation. Previously houses left spaces between them for community activity-hypothetically these spaces should be enhanced to avoid floods,8221; says the 23-year-old.

Swati Jangatkar, a stained-glass conservator, pioneered the conservation of Rajabai Tower. Currently working on St Thomas Church, the Afghan Church and the JN Petit Library on D N Road, she believes that the Heritage Committee needs more power. 8220;They must enforce no more erosion on heritage structures. Commercial signage has overwhelmed the structure and needs to be allocated other city spaces,8221; she says. 8220;Stained glass needs recognition by architects as integral to the structure. It8217;s not just interior decoration that is important.8221;

Lastly, historian Sharada Dwivedi suggests: 8220;Let us develop Bombay8217;s art deacute;co buildings. If Miami can make their buildings tourist attractions that earn revenue for the city, why shouldn8217;t we?8221;