India has a rich heritage and culture, but preserving, conserving, and protecting that heritage is a real challenge. The preservation of heritage structures requires knowledge about traditional building materials, techniques, and specifications. Conservation engineering attempts to merge knowledge with modern techniques and tools. This is done through heritage committees, heritage architects, activists and conservationists.
In addition, to addressing inadequacy of urban conservation management, skill training, and resources, engagement of private sector, developers, citizenry and the public-private partnership (PPP) model can play a big role in preservation and management of our heritage.
INSTITUTIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC DEVELOPMENTS
There are three dominant factors in urban heritage conservation that require a relook.
- The restoration efforts are largely institution led with heritage experts working in silos for maintaining and preserving heritage assets. This has led to lack of integration of heritage conservation within local planning documents.
- The second major factor influencing heritage buildings restoration is the local community’s lack of understanding of importance of value of heritage assets. As a result, new development projects are constructed without any regard to heritage structures in the vicinity.
- The final factor affecting the preservation of old heritage buildings and monuments is the pollution and climate change.
While talking about the recent institutional and programmatic developments in the field of conservation in India Shikha Jain, Director, Dronah and Chairperson, Dronah Foundation, stated, “City-level conservation initiatives such as Heritage City Development & Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) for 12 Heritage Cities and more than Rs. 1000 crore worth of urban conservation projects under SMART City through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs have focused on intangible cultural heritage. The NITI Aayog too has assessed built heritage and promoted CSR funds under Adopt-a-Heritage, while the Ministry of Tourism has developed Heritage Tourism Circuits. There are newer training programs and degree programs by various institutions and the inclusion of Heritage and Museums under the National Education Policy (NEP 202) is a great initiative that is yet to be tapped.” she added.
Ram Savani, Managing Director, Savani Heritage Conservation Private Limited added, “The corporates under CSR as well the government bodies like PWD Presidency division or the heritage cells of local bodies are keenly programming in their development calendars. The restoration of iconic Rajabai clock Tower funded by TCS & Bombay High Court premises under PWD-Presidency Division are some noticeable examples.”
Concurring with other experts, Divay Gupta, Principal Director Architectural Heritage Division, INTACH, said “Apart from several govt schemes like HRIDAY, Adopt A Heritage and Smart City, several corporates have come forward in funding conservation under their corporate social responsibility.”
THE CHALLENGES ABOUND
Heritage structure conservation involves bringing traditional materials, construction, and specifications into the sphere of current conservation engineering practitioners to integrate them into modern equipment and construction techniques.
Since India has so many heritage structures, there's a serious shortage of skilled, qualified, and trained manpower to understand and protect these structures. One major challenge for India is developing capacity in structural safety-centric conservation engineering. Also, identifying relevant expertise in relevant sub-areas of conservation and forming a consortium to tackle the major challenge of protecting heritage structures is a major challenge.
Natural phenomena such as the ageing or weathering of materials, and natural or man-made disasters can cause material deterioration and structural distress in heritage structures. Guidelines are required for the restoration and seismic strengthening of heritage structures to ensure their long-term survival.
Ram Savani agrees that the challenges in heritage restoration are manifolds. “Apart from locating the original stones or any other materials and the correct combination of all ingredients required to cultivate the staked lime is as important compared to the patience required to germinate the seed. It is a challenge to restore and preserve to its original fabric without or minimal intervention. Many a times the heritage structure may be looking strong but the structural part might have deteriorated which may pose a threat in future. The correct evaluation of foundations as well as the structural members for its strength and the remedial measures are extremely important factors.”
In Divay Gupta's opinion, the biggest challenge in the field of conservation today is the ready availability of historic materials like lime and other decorative elements like mosaic tiles, shell plaster, etc. Furthermore, heritage engineers, masons, and craftsmen, though better than earlier, are still limited in number in the country.
Shikha Jain is of the view that the biggest challenge is to raise awareness among stakeholders about the value of heritage and the knowledge of traditional materials and techniques that still exists in India. “And to make them realize that conservation is a more holistic approach from planning and policies to participation and implementation; that it needs an interdisciplinary perspective and a cross- cutting approach for all sectors specifically while dealing with urban heritage works; and that it is an important tool for socio-economic development of craftspeople and community at large.”
THE NEW APPROACH
Neighbourhoods and built heritage have suffered as a result of rapid urbanization and inadequate city planning. Other risks to heritage buildings, not just monuments, but also public areas that people use and enjoy include neglect, vandalism, and demolition. It is important to bring the conservation discourse out of the architectural realm and into the daily lives of people. For heritage sites to be treasured as heritage, memories and traditions related to them must be created in conjunction with communities. Ram Savani expressed, “Fortunately, we have woken up from the slumber to pay attention towards our legacy and all state governments & cultural ministry of central government under various channels are propagating the heritage restoration with value additions."
- Experimentation with PPP Models – The tourism is boosted by the rich culture and heritage of a place. Finding different models of coordination between the government agencies, non-profits and the private sector can be beneficial for all. Innovative ways to leverage expertise and resources of the private sector is another way of engagement for resources starved state heritage committees.
- Well Defined Mechanism for Funding - The state tourism policies should be defined such to encourage private sector participation in heritage conservation. From sponsored heritage walks, pamphlets to thematic development of vicinity and marketing support and branding at tourist amenities, pool of funds can be created to support heritage redevelopment.
- Technology - Use of technologies for national heritage can include latest tech tools like Photogrammetry & 3D Laser scanning for documentation, surveys, excavation and conservation works.
- Adaptive Reuse of Monuments – It is a process of retrofitting old buildings for new purpose from a hotel, restaurant to an art gallery or a museum while retaining the historic integrity of the structure. This makes the heritage property a lively place of contemporary use than decaying of neglect.
- Relationship Building - While there is an increasing participation of corporate and even real estate developers in heritage conservation, they are treated more as contractors or vendors. Treating them as partners in preservation efforts will be a more fruitful approach bring the best of the private and government sectors together.
According to Ram Savani, The heritage restoration should be awakened though various programs under the directions of veterans and research institute either public or private be incorporated on a scientific approach. “The people should be made aware of such work and the importance of preserving our legacy through various congregations.
“Civic engagement is the only way possible for successful conservation - the local community and all stakeholders need to be engaged right from the conception of any project to its completion such that they take ownership of conservation projects and take the future roles of maintaining and safeguarding them for posterity. Citizens of all age groups and diversity need to be involved for successful implementation,” said Shika Jain.
Divay Gupta added, “Use of technology for documentation, monitoring is an emerging trend and will surly benefit heritage. Integration of heritage within design and planning is also happening in some cases.”
SUSTAINABILE URBAN HERITAGE PRESERVATION
Today Drones, 3-D scanning, GPS, satellite imagery and rectified photography are helping preservationists to document sites while modern materials and techniques are revolutionizing the conservation of structures.
Other technologies used on heritage sites include Transformation Imaging (capturing shapes and full-color digital images with accuracy, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness), Photogrammetry (for mathematical measurements and 3D geometric data from overlapping images), LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a space archaeology remote sensing technology that measures distance, Virtual Reality, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Explaining the correct approache to heritage conservation projects, Shikha Jain pointed out the reuse of built heritage structures (protected or unprotected) in a meaningful manner for the people - needs to be environmentally sustainable with the safeguarding of natural heritage features and the use of organic materials in built heritage conservation, socio-economically sustainable by making it relevant for the community both culturally and economically through encouraging crafts and local resources.
Adopting climate-resilient solutions to strengthen sustainable development is also important to preserve and conserve. Divay Gupta believes linking heritage with the local economy especially by reusing heritage buildings is the best way of conservation and also very sustainable in place of building afresh. “Moreover, heritage Buildings are inherently more climatic sensitive and thus use less mechanical means for their air conditioning,” he added.
Ram Savani reminded that the heritage monuments when created the resources and the engineering tools and machines were least available but even then the magnificent monuments were constructed. This makes them unique and awesome.
Niti Ayog Key Action Points
Setting up of an independent World Heritage PMU with Ministry of Culture - A World Heritage Project Management Unit (PMU) involving World Heritage Experts, ASI and other stakeholders needs to be set up.
Strengthen Conservation and Management - PMU with ASI should ensure that other organisations such as the State Governments, Railways and MoEFCC are taking action on recommendations.
Capacity Building Workshops - Annual calendar for capacity building workshops and activities with State Government should be developed.
The emerging trends focus on achieving SDG goals through participatory heritage conservation by involving the community and recognizing the living heritage which is unique to India. - Shikha Jain
We feel that there should be systematic approach to restoration and a separate standardized schedule of rates should be formulated by authorized agencies taking into consideration of the labor-intensive factor along with artistic skill to separate the project from a normal typical civil engineering project.
- Ram Savani
Awareness and community participation is key to conservation's success. Thus it is important that heritage becomes a citizen’s movement. Several cases of heritage protection and conservation have been possible due to advocacy and activism of local communities like Dandi Bridge in Ahmedabad.
- Divay Gupta
The Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) has drawn up an ambitious plan for their regular methodical conservation and upkeep. The ASI's annual assessment plan, which is a brainchild of its Director General V Vidyavathi.
The agency will carry out an annual assessment of its 3,693 historical sites and structures including monuments and forts to ascertain restoration requirements. This is for the first time in decades; the Survey has planned a comprehensive scheme to improve efficacy of restoration and conservation interventions undertaken at various sites throughout the year but in silos.
The proposal for yearly review of monuments is ready and modalities for its effective implementation are being worked upon. Under the present arrangement, an officer, who is in charge of a cluster of monuments (generally a conservation architect -- CA), keeps inspecting the structures frequently and decides to take on repair or restoration projects. He also prepares an estimate for the same and gets it sanctioned from the concerned authority.
The idea for regular yearly review and preservation work thereafter is welcome change because maintenance, which is a key intervention for protection of our cultural wealth, needs centralised support.
THE REDEVELOPMENT OF GOLDEN TEMPLE HERITAGE STREET IN AMRITSAR AND CHANDNI CHOWK IN DELHI ARE STELLAR EXAMPLES OF GOVERNMENT, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTICIPATION YIELDING RICH RESULTS FOR URBAN HERITAGE PRESERVATION & RESTORATION.