Intach surveys Ajni Vann area to list natural, cultural heritage structures

Nagpur: The public campaign to save Ajni Vann from unsustainable development got a leg-up as expert members of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), recognized as one of the world’s largest heritage organizations, have taken charge of officially listing the structures at Ajni as ‘heritage’.
On Monday morning, members of Intach’s Nagpur chapter carried out a spot inspection of the area for over three hours. Over the coming days, the members will be surveying over 400 acres of the lush green railway land.
As reported by TOI earlier, the proposed inter-modal station (IMS) at Ajni will not just lead to environmental damage but also a big heritage loss. Talking to TOI after the visit, convener of Intach Nagpur Madhura Avishkar Rathod said, “Most residential quarters qualify for being categorized as grade-1 or 2 heritage structures. Apart from this, four schools and a church come under heritage category. Though built around 1890, the structures are still intact and have immense heritage value.”
These structures didn’t find a place in the heritage list of Nagpur. “Our objective now is to specifically focus on Ajni area and prepare a list of heritage structures. Once this is done, we will submit it to Intach headquarters in New Delhi, as well as the local Heritage Conservation Committee. Apart from these structures, Ajni also has intangible heritage in the cultural aspect,” added Rathod, who is also working as associate professor at Smt Manoramabai Mundle College of Architecture.
This move has brought a ray of hope for activists, who have been fighting to save thousands of age-old trees and heritage structures at Ajni ever since the IMS project was announced. “I am happy that Intach Nagpur has taken active steps towards listing built, natural and cultural heritage structures at Ajni. Nagpur being the capital of Central Provinces, is a living witness to the industrial revolution that took place in India, railways being one of them. To develop such a great infrastructure, railways has developed an elaborate neighbourhood at Ajni that is sustainable,” said architectural conservationist Sandeep Pathe.
The green and heritage together make Ajni a prestigious land for the city said environmentalist Anasuya Kale Chhabrani, adding, “We appeal to the Intach team to enlist Ajni Vann in the list of natural and architectural heritage. We would also request them to send a recommendation for the same to the head office of archaeological department in central and state ministries so that they also acknowledge the treasure of Ajni’s heritage, safeguarding something built 100 years back, and may not be possible to be crafted today.”