SURAT: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) had announced two years ago on World Heritage Day a heritage policy and also took a vow to protect the heritage buildings in the city for which it set up a heritage cell. Under the heritage policy, 2,417 properties in old city and 574 in old Gamtal of Rander, which were 80-year-old or more, were identified to be in the need of conservation. However, so far no work for their conservation has been taken up.

"These properties were identified through a survey. However, the conservation work on these properties is yet to begin. The SMC's lack of expertise on the subject of conservation has delayed the process," said Bhamini Mahida, chief curator, Science Centre, SMC.

SMC made a provision for the recruitment of empanelled architect and conservation architect on permanent basis in its heritage cell along with urban planners and town planning experts. The posts were advertised four times in the last one year at the national level. But no suitable candidates for the posts of empanelled architect and conservation architect were found.

An empanelled architect and a conservation architect would have suggested the guidelines for the protection and conservation of heritage structures in the city.

"Another problem is people living in the heritage structures. Over 60 per cent of the protected heritage properties are occupied by people. Unless SMC takes over their possession and starts conservation measures, we can't bracket them as heritage monuments," Mahida added.

However, not all is lost on the conservation front. The city's pilot project of Chowk Bazaar Heritage Square is on the march. "By the middle of the year, Chowk Bazaar Heritage Square's work would reach its final stage. If need be, we would take Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation ( AMC) and state government's help for our conservation projects," municipal commissioner Manoj Das said.

"Heritage preservation is a specialized field. Hence, we are a bit cautious," said CY Bhatt, Deputy Commissioner, SMC.