The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD holds first heritage meeting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 22, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

MCD holds first heritage meeting

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 21. It was better late than never for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). With MCD finally waking up to the heritage cause, it held the first meeting of its Heritage Society at its new office in Qudsia Bagh today.

"We did not have any policy for heritage until now. The Delhi Government has passed the Ancients Monuments and Remains Bill in Assembly recently, which also has been put into the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act. The junior engineers and assistant engineers would be sensitised about the new law. They will also be given a list of the heritage buildings in their wards, so that they can keep an eye out for any changes made to them,'' stated the Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta.

While the earlier Heritage Cell did not have any experts on the panel, MCD plans to learn from its past mistakes.

"We have included experts on the panel this time. There is a town planner, we have also included a conservation architect as an advisory for the society. We will constitute a panel of about 25 conservation architects. It will be mandatory for people interested in restoring their buildings to get their plans made by them. The Society will also lay down guidelines for repair of heritage buildings. There will also be special invitees from the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation and the Delhi Development Authority,'' the Commissioner stated.

Apart from formulating guidelines for heritage property, the Heritage Society will also work out a heritage plan for the city in collaboration with INTACH. "It is an important day because the Government has got involved in a relationship to save heritage. Earlier NGOs and the Government worked in isolation. The only link left now are the citizens of the city, once they get involved with the cause the war is won,'' said Convenor, Delhi Chapter, INTACH, O.P. Jain.

And to complete the link, the Heritage Society is organising heritage walks in the Walled City in an attempt to create awareness among people in the city.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi