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No more changing looks, Pols better look old

Houses in Pols will not be able to alter structures

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The newly acquired World Heritage City status has the entire country swooning over Ahmedabad, but house owners in Pols (walled city) are getting the jitters. Because, with great recognition come great responsibilities and uncomfortable restrictions. 

The ease with which heritage houses were sold off to realty sharks, who replaced them with concrete high rises, will soon become stuff of lore. As Unesco rules go, once a site/city is inscribed on the World Heritage List, it is important that the original characteristics of the place are retained. 

The recognition given to Ahmedabad specifically identifies Pols and their wooden carved houses. This means conservation of Pols will now be a priority for the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), while the owners of the houses there cannot take up renovation and repairs at will.

To make any change to Pol houses, owners will now have to approach the Heritage Management Committee constituted by the AMC. Not just that, they will also have to adhere to the regulations formulated for renovating/repairing private Pol.

P K Ghosh, chairman of Heritage Conservation Committee, says, “Any alteration done to heritage structures is a matter of concern. To make any change to Pol structures listed in the dossier submitted to Unesco are now to be done with much care. If any of the listed houses want to make repairs, they will have to submit a proposal before the Heritage Management society of AMC.” 

However, proposals will be approved only after considering the legal aspects, Ghosh adds, noting that making changes to structures will now become next to impossible.

Experts like conservation architect Ashish Trambadia are of the opinion that the time has come to inform and educate citizens as well. “City authorities need to educate people and make them aware of what it means to own the heritage city tag. Even introducing urban amenities like air conditioners and western commode could put the tag at risk.”

Pol residents, however, are unaware of the weight of the tag. Mahesh Soni, a resident of Desai ni Pol, says they haven’t received any circular from the civic body about the “stricter” regulations. When DNA told him house owners will have to seek AMC’s permission to repair/renovate their houses, Soni seemed unaware.

“If we are not allowed to repair, then we expect the civic body to do the needful, as they have experts who can tell them how to the heritage characteristics can remain intact despite the repairs,” Soni says. 

There could be a lot of hand wringing in the coming days as Pols have a significant number of run-down structures that need attention. And with it, the civic body’s preparedness to walk the tight rope will also come to fore.

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