Won’t tamper with structural integrity of Mysuru City Railway Station, SWR assures district administration

Mysuru: Efforts made by the district deputy commissioner to put an end to the ongoing tussle between the South Western Railway (SWR), Mysuru division and the Mysuru Heritage Committee have borne fruit. Mysuru DC Abhiram G Sankar, who arranged a meeting between SWR authorities and members of the heritage panel at his office on Friday, said that the railway authorities had assured the district administration that the redevelopment project under way at the Mysuru City Railway Station would not undermine the heritage value of the terminal building.
Rebutting charges leveled against them by the heritage panel members, SWR officials stated that there had been no violations of conservation norms in the redevelopment project at the station. The DC ensured that the two parties sorted out their differences, and arrived at a consensus that would be satisfactory to all.
Sankar said that the structure built recently near the parcel office, which was one of the bones of contention between SWR and the heritage panel, would not be demolished, since it would amount to a waste of the exchequer’s money. “Demolition of a constructed structure is not a wise decision. SWR has been allowed to retain the new structure, but the authorities have been instructed that such violations will not be permitted in the future,” the DC said.
Sankar appeared satisfied with the assurance given by the SWR authorities on adherence to norms when work on future projects commenced. On the use of concrete for plastering, Sankar said, “We have asked them to ensure that the use of concrete does not result in the building losing its identity. Notwithstanding use of concrete, the entire building must appear to be one continuous block. Also, we pointed out that the white used to paint the arch at the parking lot was not in alignment with the antique look of the rest of the building, and they have consented to make the necessary changes. The authorities have also been instructed to use heritage cast iron in lieu of modern iron grills.”
‘Switch to original colour’
In 2014, when the Mysuru City Railway Station was painted afresh, the ivory and white colours that had greeted all passengers, was replaced. Members of the heritage panel and the district administration instructed SWR that the building would have to be painted ivory and white since that was more in keeping with the heritage structure.
“If the structure is damaged in the course of the redevelopment project, it would amount to a violation of local laws, and we would be forced to escalate the issue. But I hope that such a situation never arises,” said Sankar.