Undue delay in notifying the structures may take a toll on the state of heritage structures
Chennai Central Railway station
Chennai: Chennai, India’s fourth largest city, has over 434 heritage buildings, including government and private structures, identified by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), several falling under the Grade I category. But the undue delay in notifying the structures may take a toll on the state of heritage structures.According to sources, it took the heritage panel over three years to bring out the list of buildings, but not one building has been notified. Many of the century-old heritage structures are poorly maintained.
There are several factors affecting these structures. The city’s population has peaked to 69 lakh and with urban density constantly on the rise and Chennai Metro Rail Limited spreading its network like a huge construction yard across the city, many institutions have lost vast chunks of land to the metro rail project, which has altered the city’s topography. The basic idea behind identifying the heritage buildings, leading to notification, was to ensure their preservation and also sensitise residents so that they would involve themselves in conserving heritage for posterity.
The CMDA authorities have furnished the first list of 66 heritage buildings to the government for notification and to take up restoration work too. “We have recommended conservation work for certain buildings and also suggested the material that could be used during the restoration,” an official at the CMDA said.
There are also about 22 government buildings besides private structures in the second list and most of these fall under the Grade I category. The list also has the Old Mint (Government Printing Press) on Mint Street, constructed in 1888, and initially functioning as a gunpowder manufacturing factory for the British East India Company, the Memorial Hall, Chennai Central Railway Station, Southern Railway Headquarters, Madras Veterinary College in Vepery, Victoria Public Hall and the Senate House of the University of Madras on Kamarajar Salai in Chepauk.
Some of the major heritage structures that have been included in the list are the Chennai Egmore Railway Station, built in 1908; Connemara Library, built in 1896 besides the Ripon Building; C.S.I Egmore Wesley Church; P.ORR & Sons; Humayun Mahal — Chepuk Palace, in Chepauk; Gangadhareeswarar Temple in Purasavakkam; Tamil Nadu Archives Historical Research Centre, in Egmore; Sri Parathasarathy Swamy temple, Triplicane; Bharathiyar Illam in Triplicane and Durgah Hazareth Syed Moosa Shah Khaderi, on Anna Salai and Chennai Central Railway station.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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