Indian Express 11.09.2009
Slums first, heritage later: Grade III no longer untouchable
Heritage structures listed as Grade-III can now be redeveloped if a slum scheme demands it, following a dilution of the norms for preservation of less prominent heritage buildings and precincts.
A notification issued by the state urban development department on September 4 removes such structures from the purview of the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee, clearing the decks for redevelopment under the Slum Rehabilitation Authority. This means slum redevelopment in heritage precincts will not face any height or building restrictions, so far considered necessary for the aesthetic appeal of such areas.
The new rule could herald extensive changes in the skyline of unique settlements like Hindu Colony, Parsi Colony, Banganga, Khotachiwadi, the East Indian village of Mathar Pakadi and many more, each characterised by uniform building heights and street lines.
The new notification says heritage precincts/Grade III buildings under development control rules 33/7 (dilapidated cessed buildings), DCR 33/8 (housing for dishoused), DCR 33/9 (urban renewal schemes) and 33/10 (SRA schemes) no longer need require any screening by the heritage committee. Even projects where the height of the reconstructed building exceeds 24 m can bypass the heritage committee and go ahead with “special permission from the municipal commissioner”.
Grade III structures are defined as those of importance to townscape. So far, reconstruction was allowed only if it is structurally weak or unsafe. Redevelopment was allowed only on such buildings under DCR 33/7, DCR 33/8 and DCR 33/9, that too after screening by the heritage committee. That provision has been removed entirely.
“Sixty per cent of the existing 633 heritage structures come under the category of Grade III structures and precincts. The historical fabric of these neighborhoods as well as many local landmarks will be completely destroyed now,” said Pankaj Joshi, former heritage committee member and executive director of the Urban Design Research Institute.
Conservation architect Vikas Dilawari termed this move “the slow death of the heritage movement in the city”. Less than two weeks ago, the Grade III YWCA Hostel in Colaba, a structure restored by Dilawari, won an honourable mention at the UNESCO Heritage Awards.
“We have to cater to growth but not without a masterplan in mind. Heritage precincts and Grade III structures are like grains of a tapestry. If these are eroded, heritage landmarks by themselves will lose importance. For instance, if a 24-storey building comes up right next to the Grade I CST building, the structure will fail to stand out like it does today,” Dilawari said.
