Few years before new sites get heritage tag

After the civic body spent almost six years to publish the proposed heritage list and invite public opinions, state government officials claimed that it could take a couple of years for the list to finally turn into a government notification. Reetika Subramanian reports.

After the civic body spent almost six years to publish the proposed heritage list and invite public opinions, state government officials claimed that it could take a couple of years for the list to finally turn into a government notification.

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The draft list was drawn up by a team of heritage experts and submitted to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee in 2005. MHCC members then visited the sites to verify their heritage value, and sent a detailed report to the state urban development department in 2008. Three months later, the UDD directed the civic body to publish the draft list, but it was done only a month ago, on July 31.

The final list will be prepared by MHCC members after civic officials conduct public hearings to invite suggestions and objections. It will then be presented to the state government for approval.

"Once the deadline for the submission of objections and suggestions is passed, the civic body will conduct a public hearing and review the opinions. The officials will also pay a visit to the spot to conduct an in-depth inspection of the proposed heritage sites," said a state government official. "This could take a couple of years," said the official. The deadline for the submission of suggestions and objections was extended to September 30.

"Rampant redevelopment and poor maintenance of the listed heritage properties during the past six years, would require the review of each of the sites," said a former member of Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee.