Island city lost 251 proposed heritage sites in 6 yrs

The heritage committee’s efforts to preserve the city’s past could well be in vain, as over the past six years, since the list of 868 proposed heritage structures was drafted, the civic body has granted permission for redevelopment of 329 of them, Reetika Subramanian reports.

The heritage committee’s efforts to preserve the city’s past could well be in vain, as over the past six years, since the list of 868 proposed heritage structures was drafted, the civic body has granted permission for redevelopment of 329 of them.

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Significantly, most of these structures are residential properties in the island city or in old parts of Mumbai.

According to data obtained from the civic body's development plan department, of the 588 proposed heritage structures located in the island city, 251 have been allowed to be redeveloped; 78 of 280 such sites in the eastern and western suburbs have been given requisite permissions.

“The island city comprises cessed buildings and several old structures in the proposed precincts. Thus, permissions for redevelopment were granted on the basis of plans submitted

by architects, with no heritage component involved,” said Sitaram Kunte, municipal commissioner. “We could not deny them permission because the structures haven’t been notified as heritage structures as yet,” he added.