Miffed with MCC over damage to heritage arch, historians want restoration to be handled by heritage dept

Mysuru: Among the assurances that the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) gave historians, conservationists and citizens when work on widening the stretch of a thoroughfare from Abba Road to BN Road got under way was that no damage would be caused to one of the oldest relics of the Heritage City: The Government Guest House, which rests on the side of the road currently being widened. However, owing to the callous attitude of the officials in-charge of overseeing the project, and careless workmanship, the arch of this jewel of Mysuru has been damaged, provoking sharp reactions from historians and conservationists in the city.
In the wake of widespread public outrage over the mishap, MCC has agreed not to take charge of restoring the arch, leaving the task to the department of archaeology, museums and heritage.
Work on the road-widening project commenced in the end of November. The MCC planned to widen the 450m-stretch by 30m on either side of the road. A sum of Rs 3.5 crore was allocated for the civic project. The civic agency’s original plan was drawn up in such a manner so as to prevent any form of damage to the 200-year-old Government Guest House. The plans showed that a sufficient buffer would divide the widened road and the entrance to the guest house. However, the damage to the arch has left the historians a piqued lot, some of whom, along with members of the heritage committee visited the heritage structure to assess the damage.
The stretch in question, between the SP Office Circle and Five Lights Circle, was painfully narrow and was a major bottleneck in the heart of the city. In a bid to resolve the problem of vehicular gridlock in Central Business District (CBD), MCC decided to go ahead with widening the stretch. When the civic body sought land from the government for the project, the officials were told to ensure that the arch would be restored in such a manner that would keep its structural integrity intact. However, MCC, which started work on restoring the arch, used concrete plaster to fill the cracks, triggering outrage among citizens, who promptly intimated the Mysuru Heritage Committee about the infraction.
Led by members historian Prof NS Rangaraju, members of the heritage panel visited the historical structure and took stock of the damage to the same. Following the panel’s intervention, MCC is contemplating handing over restoration work to the department of archaeology, heritage and museums.
MCC’s zone 7 development officer MC Srinivas said that they initiated restoration work in keeping with the injunctions of the government. However, Srinivas affirmed that the arch did not sustain any damage during the road-widening project. “The MCC has sent a proposed plan to the deputy commissioner, wherein we have explained how widening the road will ease vehicular movement along this busy road. The DC is expected to submit his recommendations soon. If restoration of the arch is completed, we expect work on the road to complete by 25 days,” Srinivas told TOI.
Expressing displeasure with the MCC’s decision to plaster the cracks on the arch using cement, Prof Rangaraju said, “The heritage arch was originally built using limestone and bricks. Cement was not to have been used for restoration. The arch will be protected in the same way we successfully conserved the one near the deputy commissioner’s office.”