Work on Futala spectator gallery to start this week

Nagpur: Work on the spectator gallery for Futala light and sound show will start this week. Construction of Bharat Van road, which is a part of the project, will however, remain in abeyance.
In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, city MP Nitin Gadkar had said that the redevelopment is his “dream project”. A green activist told TOI that the spectators’ gallery on a heritage structure is against the rules.
A source in MahaMetro said that with election code of conduct over, there are no obstacles in beginning the work. “We have finalized the design. The construction of road behind the gallery will begin. This will come up on the land where the Futala waterfront shops were located. We will construct a wall and also strengthen the slope of Telangkhedi garden,” he added.
As per the new gallery design, there will be about 80 to 90 small shops on the rear side. “These shops will have a depth of 3 metres. The ramp of the gallery can be used by them to store their goods. There will be two-wheeler and four-wheeler parking in front of the shops and beyond that will be the road,” the source said.
MahaMetro also claimed to have found a solution to the problem of echo during the proposed light and sound show. “We will put sound absorbent material on the steps of the spectator gallery. This material will absorb the sound and there will be no echo,” the official said.
Meanwhile, Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) has issued the work order to consortium of Studio One and Khalatkar Constructions to develop the light and sound show. “The consortium will submit the detailed design for the show within 60 days. Actual work on it will begin after it is approved by us,” said an official.
The spectator gallery will be an open structure and will have seating arrangements similar to Yeshwant Stadium. It will run along the length of the lake so that maximum people can view the musical fountain. It will, however, have tensile roofing so that it can be covered during rainy season.
Earlier, a road tunnel was to be constructed under the gallery. However, the plan was dropped as the height of the base of the gallery would have increased due to the tunnel, which would have led to echoing of light and sound show. The base will now be near ground level.
Jaydeep Das, honorary wildlife warden of Nagpur district, said that MahaMetro was violating heritage rules by building the spectators gallery. “As per Rule No 11, you can’t change the skyline of Grade I heritage precinct. The road is not a problem but the gallery is. We had filed an objection with the heritage committee over a month ago but it has not conducted a hearing. Meanwhile, MahaMetro has decided to start work on the project,” he told TOI.
The heritage committee had told MahaMetro that it does not require a no objection certificate (NOC) for constructing the gallery as it was not close to the heritage precinct. Commenting on this, Das said, “In this case the committee should be dissolved. The members don’t know the rules. The committee can’t give a NOC for Grade I precinct.”
According to the heritage list, Futala lake, its catchment area, embankment, gardens and open spaces in command area are classified as Grade-1 heritage. As per the complaint, the proposed viewers’ gallery will change Futala lake’s skyline and its precincts, which is a violation of heritage rules.
The embankment was constructed by Bhonsala kings. While MahaMetro officials claim that this structure will not be disturbed for the construction, specific rules for Grade-1 heritage structures do not permit interventions unless it is necessary to strengthen the building’s life or its precinct. Even for this purpose, minimum changes are allowed.