Heritage department to submit report on historic structures of Mysuru

MYSURU: Amid mounting concerns over the condition of the city’s heritage structures following the collapse of a wall of the 106-year-old Maharani’s Science College building on JLB Road on Friday. Taking cognisance of the vulnerable condition of some of the historic structures in the city, the department of archaeology, museums, and heritage has decided to prepare a report, detailing the condition of the buildings to the state government.
Concerned residents, on the other hand, want funds earmarked specifically for the purpose of conserving Mysuru’s history, given that its reputation as the Heritage City is at risk. The structures dotting the cityscape are like pages of a book, each encapsulating a tale about a specific period of time in Mysuru’s rich history.

Commissioner of the department of archaeology, museums, and heritage, Devaraju A said that they had identified 179 heritage structures within the jurisdiction of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), most of which are under the ownership of the government departments. “We will inspect all the structures, and submit a report to the state government on their condition,” said Devaraju, attributing the fragile condition of some of the structures to constant rain, and poor maintenance.
Member of Mysuru District Heritage Committee, Ichanur Kumar pointed out that the heritage department had surveyed all the historic structures, including Wellington House on Irwin Road, and Government House, the oldest surviving structures in the city.
Stakeholders called on the state government to draft a plan exclusively for the protection of heritage structures in Mysuru, which would include an allocation in the budget. President of Federation of Organisations and Associations of Mysuru (FOAM), BS Prashanth said that the heritage department had enlisted a private company to initiate work on conservation of the historic structures. “But work was suspended by the authorities who cited paucity of funds. We want Rs 500 crore earmarked in the budget exclusively for the conservation of heritage structures. The funds can be released in phases, but the government needs to take this issue with the gravity it desires,” Prashanth said.