MCD to begin restoration of eight grade-I heritage structures in Delhi

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi will begin a phased restoration and preservation exercise for eight Grade-I heritage structures under its jurisdiction, with conservation work expected to begin next month, officials said on Tuesday.

The Grade-I category denotes monuments classified as being of the highest historical importance.

The initiative follows directions from the Supreme Court to restore heritage monuments under the civic body’s ownership and will be carried out in consultation with academic institutions and conservation experts, they said.

“The first phase will cover eight heritage structures, including four tombs in Zamrudpur village in south Delhi, the Mahavir Library in Greater Kailash-I, a gumti (small tomb) in Humayunpur village, a tomb in the LSR village area and Maharaja Agrasen Park on Boulevard Road,” an MCD official said.

He added that the other identified sites include the historic Town Hall building in Chandni Chowk and Company Bagh. However, officials said these two properties are presently being looked after by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation.

Officials said a meeting was held on Monday between Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials and experts from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Jamia Millia Islamia, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (Architecture School) and the Aga Khan Foundation to discuss the restoration roadmap.

“The MCD does not have an in-house conservation team. Since Grade-I monuments require specialised treatment and cannot be altered, we are taking support from institutions and conservation experts to ensure the structures are restored to their original shape,” an official said.

The Aga Khan Foundation has already submitted a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for participation in the project, he added.

The civic body has ownership rights over around 50 to 100 heritage structures out of nearly 1,300 heritage properties listed in Delhi, the official said.

Of the 1,318 heritage sites under the MCD’s jurisdiction, 82 are classified as Grade-I monuments, as per the 2010 Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) data.

“The restoration exercise will be taken up in phases. Tenders inviting agencies and organisations to participate in the conservation work were issued last week, and we expect the process to move forward next month,” an official said.

The conservation process will involve the preparation of technical and heritage reports, followed by the tender process. Agencies with prior experience working on Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) projects will be eligible to undertake the restoration work, officials said.

Officials said many of the monuments are located in densely populated areas and are surrounded by encroachments, overhead utility wires and nearby construction activity.

“Most of the structures are in reasonably good condition, barring one or two. The bigger challenge is the crowded surroundings and encroachments around these monuments, which will also have to be addressed,” an official said.

Apart from monuments, nine MCD schools notified as heritage buildings and seven health centres are also part of the civic body’s heritage inventory. Most of these fall under Grade-II and Grade-III categories.

The restoration work will involve traditional techniques, including lime mortar conservation, which requires specialised labour. Officials said the entire exercise is expected to take at least a year to complete.