NAGPUR: The activists, who have been pushing for rejuvenation and conservation of Nag and Pili rivers and trying to get them included into the heritage list, got a thorn in their flesh when the Heritage Conservation Committee denied the much-needed status to the rivers despite the city which got its name from Nag river. The decision was taken on the basis of a report submitted by a sub-committee to the conservation committee headed by
Tapan Chakrabarti at a meeting held at the NMC office on Thursday.
Now the committee will submit the report to Supreme Court which will take final decision in this regard.
Following a petition of Vidarbha Heritage Society, the Supreme Court had directed Heritage Conservation Committee to give its opinion on 49 heritage buildings, precincts and natural features that were deleted from the heritage list in 2000. Nag and Pili rivers were part of the 49 heritage buildings, precincts and natural features.
Accordingly, the heritage committee formed a sub-committee to conduct the process and submit a report. The committee, comprising
Ashok Mokha, P S Patankar and Ujjwala Chakradev, invited suggestions and objections followed by the hearing. The sub-committee submitted the report to the committee, which approved the report, at the meeting on Thursday.
Retired IAS officer Chitkala Zutshi during her tenure as chairperson of heritage conservation committee in 2013 had strongly believed two rivers should be given heritage status for conservation.
Mokha, while confirmed the committee's decision not to include the two rivers in the heritage list, said the decision will make no difference in protection and conservation of the two rivers. "All temples and important landmarks along the two rivers are in the heritage list. So, all these structures along with the rivers are protected. The NMC too has taken up plans for rejuvenation and beautification of the rivers. Therefore, the rivers are going to survive," he said.
Vidarbha Heritage Society secretary
Awantika Chitnavis said, "I did not get any such information. When it is a list of heritage buildings, precincts and natural features, how can rivers not included in the list," she said.
Condemning the decision, activist Pradyumna
Sahasrabhojanee said, "It is like we are not considering our mother as mother. It is a known fact that the city, which came into existence on the bank of Nag river, got its name from it. Temples, crematoriums etc are situated on the banks of these rivers for the last many years. There are many other cultural and historical facts connected with the two rivers. The two water bodies do deserve to get the heritage status," he said.
Sahasrabhojanee further said one of major reasons behind the denial of the heritage status is to protect all those involved in encroachments and other violations on banks of the rivers. "If the rivers get the status, the question on various violations will be raised and the original area of the rivers has to restored. This may cause trouble for both the authorities concerned and the people involved in the illegal activities on the banks."
