Monument-specific heritage byelaws soon?

Prompted by a Delhi High Court directive, the 'competent authority' for Delhi will present draft heritage byelaws for Sher Shah Gate and Khairul-Manzil mosque on Mathura road, next week.

Prompted by a Delhi High Court directive, the 'competent authority' for Delhi will present draft heritage byelaws for Sher Shah Gate and Khairul-Manzil mosque on Mathura road, next week.

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The byelaws for these monuments will pave the way for more than 170 Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monuments of Delhi bringing relief to hundreds of property owners residing within 300 metres (regulated area) of the protected monuments.

As per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment & Validation) Act 2010, all construction within 100 metres of a protected monument is banned while there are several restrictions on repair/construction for properties within the regulated area. The permission/rejection in the regulated area is to be based on monument-specific heritage byelaws.

"The high court has directed the competent authority, Vijay Singh, to submit draft byelaws on November 16," said AS Chandiok, president, Bar Association.

The court's intervention was necessitated after it was found that the 2.77 acre land on Zakir Hussain road, allotted for the court's expansion in 2007, fell within the regulated area of these two monuments. The land is needed for judges' and lawyers' chambers, an auditorium and a library.

Using the topographical sheets/ maps for 550 metres area around all monuments, the competent authority would launch a website wherein 100 metres and 300 metres radius area would be earmarked.

"The actual field survey which will help incorporate each building/structure type, the land use and other points in the site plan will be carried out then. The monument-specific byelaws would be possible only after this survey," Chandiok said.

He, however, said he would first complete the draft byelaws for Sher Shah Gate and Khairul-Manzil mosque and send a copy to the National Monument Authority for ratification.