AMC framing new restoration policy

AHMEDABAD: A day before UNESCO director general

Irina Bokova

hands over the certificate of inscription as

World Heritage City

to Ahmedabad, the

standing committee

of

Ahmedabad municipal corporation

(AMC) has decided to devise a new policy to save old and dilapidated houses in the walled city.

Standing Committee chairperson Pravin Patel said that every year, several houses in the walled city are declared dangerous and either pulled down or collapsed. Now, the AMC wants dilapidated structures to be restored.

“We have asked the officials and the heritage department of AMC to chalk out a policy that would help restore the old houses that are dilapidated,” Pravin Patel said.

He further said that the new policy will ensure that illegal constructions do not flourish in the area and houses are restored. “We have asked the officials to impose heavy fines for illegal constructions that are planned in the walled city,” said Pravin Patel.

However, there is a policy already in place — it was declared in 2005. Now to ensure long-term conservation, the AMC wants to have a new policy. On an average, around 40 old houses collapse in walled city every year.

AMC had come out with a policy which granted permission to repair old buildings using T-girders in areas which are not earmarked as core heritage zone. In 2010, the AMC had imposed a blanket ban on the use of 'T' shaped steel beam supports which were used as replacement for wooden beam support system of old pol houses. The use of T-girders in repair and reconstruction of heritage buildings was banned after alleged misuse by builders to create commercial structures in an illegal manner in the narrow bye-lanes of the old city.

Now, the AMC wants to replace this policy with a new one.


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