Owners in Ahmedabad list 7 havelis for Unesco-world heritage status

AHMEDABAD: As the city sets its eyes on the 2036 Olympics, Ahmedabad’s Unesco-world heritage city (WHC) status, like other European WHC cities which hosted the Olympics gathers centre stage.
A glimmer of hope is seen for the city's troubled WHC heritage buildings after seven havelis, whose owners now volunteered to register their properties under Ahmedabad’s latest WHC list. A gazette regarding the same has been published and will be assigned TDR.
In fact six more owners have submitted applications for listing their properties under WHC.
“The owners of these seven buildings had been trying since September 2019, but it was in February that their structures were listed. Also we are processing six additional applications for WHC listing. This is because of growing awareness,” said a senior AMC official.
The gazette was published in February 15, but the process of assigning TDR to these buildings has just begun in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC).
There are six additional buildings for which the process is on.
Of these seven buildings that were listed — three in Khadia have been categorised as Grade 2A — which has high heritage value, while three others that are in Khadia and Shahpur areas are listed Grade-2B. The properties are located in Lakha Patel ni pol, Desai ni Pol, Kapalidas ni pol, Dhal ni pol, Sankdi Sheri and Moto Suthar no Wado. Owners of these listed properties have even submitted their suggestions to the civic body — requesting the the government to declare the roughly 500 hectare WHC precinct as an SEZ-Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) that is meant specifically for Urban Revitalization, in this case, Heritage Revitalization.
The walled city precinct has close to 2,700 certified heritage structures located within 2 square miles. Of these, close to 2,000 heritage properties are under private ownership.
“Ahmedabad is already aiming to host the Olympics, like other Unesco World heritage European cities. It is a major economic opportunity for heritage, tourism and handcraft UEZ.. Heritage cannot be protected through coercion but only through stakeholder participation. Participation is fuelled by economic incentives as extended for SEZ’s,” says entrepreneur, heritage custodian, and executive committee member at Indian Heritage Hotel Association, Abhay Mangaldas.
“I have three buildings that are listed in the gazette as WHC buildings. We had been trying since September 2019. Covid was one of the major reasons for delay. We hope the civic body speeds up clearances for other buildings as well,” says Mangaldas.