Heritage assessment a must before Dalhousie infra work

Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will now be required to take a prior approval from the National Monument Authority (NMA) before undertaking any civic work in Dalhousie Square or sanctioning construction of new buildings in its vicinity.
“Work in BBD Bagh, formerly known as Dalhousie Square, can only be taken up after proper heritage and environment assessment is carried out,” a civic official said.


The decision follows a directive from the NMA to the civic body to refrain from granting construction permits within regulated or prohibited areas near protected heritage sites without obtaining mandatory approval. KMC received a formal letter from NMA, pointing out that issuing construction permits without its approval violates existing regulations designed to safeguard heritage precincts. The letter also pointed out that many applications for approval were received after construction had already begun or been completed.
Dalhousie Square is one of the most valuable heritage precincts in the country and has 84 listed heritage structures including 76 that are grade I structures. The zone encapsulates two centuries of British colonial history, during much of which Dalhousie Square served as the administrative centre from where the British governed India.
“KMC should be requested to issue commencement certificates for construction in the regulated zones of protected monuments only after the NMA has granted its approval,” the letter stated. Last year, NMA had also written to the Reserve Bank of India, urging it to advise national banks against disbursing loans for constructions until the NMA has approved the building plans. Any repairs, construction, or development within a 300-metre radius of roughly 3,700 protected structures under the Archaeological Survey of India’s jurisdiction requires a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the NMA.
According to a KMC official, any proposal for construction in the specified heritage zone will come under scrutiny of the civic body’s heritage wing. The heritage wing in turn will place the matter to the KMC buildings department. “If we find anything objectionable in the building plans, the matter will be referred to the mayor and the municipal commissioner for necessary action,” said a KMC official.