Road & Futala devpt projects ‘illegal’: Heritage laws uncover

Nagpur: In a startling revelation, experts who drew up the city’s first heritage list have declared that Bharat Van is a heritage area having the highest protection as per government laws, thus making the proposed road “illegal”. Moreover, they have also questioned the nod given to the Telangkhedi redevelopment plan stating that it “violates important clauses of heritage law”.
It’s a known fact that the lake, also known as Futala, is listed as a Grade-I heritage structure in the gazette notification issued by the state government on October 18, 2003. The Grade-I category is the highest level of protection given to buildings and precincts of national or historic importance.
The same document, which is with TOI, also shows that the mini-forest Bharat Van, which currently falls on Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) land, also falls under the same category. According to the heritage list, the catchment area, embankment, gardens and open spaces in command area are classified as Grade-1.
No member of the current heritage committee was available for a comment.
Pradyumna Sahasrabhojanee, who is a member of the city’s first Heritage Conservation Committee, had played a key role in preparing the heritage list. According to him, “the open spaces in command area” refers to Bharat Van.
A command area is the lower side of the water body in which water “can be supplied”. “In that sense, the entire Bharat Nagar comes under command area. However, while preparing the list, we carried out a careful assessment and included all the open spaces owned by bodies like PDKV under Grade-I. The aim was to protect the remaining heritage,” he said.
The expert, who is also the president of Vidarbha Heritage Society, added that constructing the proposed road will be in complete violation of heritage resolutions. A specific clause regarding road construction states: “If there are any new roads or road widening lines reserved in the development plan on areas listed in the heritage list, the same shall not be implemented.”
The proposed road is a part of city’s development plan of 2000. “As the heritage resolution came into place in 2003, it overrules any previous plans,” said Sahasrabhojanee.
Hence, whether the heritage conservation committee can grant permission for building the proposed road is itself questionable. “If it does, the decision will be contrary to the heritage regulations,” said Sahasrabhojanee.
Not just the road, the approval given by the committee to Futala redevelopment project is also “against the rules”. Architect Paramjit Singh Ahuja, who was a member of the city’s second heritage conservation committee, said, “The resolution states that any development around the Grade-I structure should not destroy its grandeur and view and the proposed viewer’s gallery might violate this rule.”
Ahuja, who is also the chairman of Indian Institute of Architects (local chapter), also pointed out about another probable violation. “The development work is happening in the precincts of the heritage structure. To conserve the lake, it is crucial to protect the entire precinct,” he said.
Moreover, the gallery is proposed to come up on the embankment of the lake. The heritage resolution lists embankment too under Grade-I. “Before giving approval to such projects, an impact assessment is a must. The procedures are well-laid down,” added Ahuja.
Honorary wildlife warden of Nagpur Jaydeep Das, who is spearheading the Save Bharat Van campaign, said, “While the road was already disastrous in terms of ecology and environment, now experts have proved that it is against heritage laws. Since the heritage listings came in 2003, the road in a DP before that gets automatically deleted. You can’t delete a heritage site but you can delete a road.”
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NEW REVELATIONS
- Bharat Van is a Grade-I Heritage Site
- The proposed road is illegal as it violates heritage regulations of 2003
- The regulations overrule the development plan of 2000
- Futala redevelopment project also in violation with laws
- Development work happening in precincts of the heritage structure
- Gallery proposed to come up on embankment, which is also listed as Grade-I
- Gallery might violate the clause which states that any development around Grade-I structure should not destroy its grandeur and view