Heritage, Culture and Religious Cities (Group D) constituting of 15 JNNURM Cities under PEARL is the network for heritage cities. Two more cities - Tirupati and Porbandar has been added to this group recently. The main objective of this page is to share and discuss various initiatives being taken in the area of heritage conservation under the identified Cities and in non-JNNURM Cities as well. Key achievements, issues and updates at the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) level that include linkage between urban planning and heritage development; comprehensive guideline formulation and clear road map for action to protect the heritage cities shall be discussed and updated here regularly. You are also welcome to send us more information, updates, news/events, etc. regarding this important area of concern.

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Most of the Indian cities have a strong architectural and urban character in their core inner city areas. These inner city areas where once life, culture and business flourished have been neglected as the cities have grown over time. This has resulted in gradual decay of these areas. Experiences from all over the world have shown that preservation of heritage areas with modern development can serve the purpose of business and sustainability. However, it is often found that historic urban monuments are getting decayed in India due to:

• Lack of proper policy 

• Lack of appropriate legal framework 

• Lack of awareness and appreciation towards heritage properties and 

• Lack of financial and technical resources 

Many Indian monuments are lying uncared. In the backdrop of this, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in collaboration with CRUTA foundation, an N.G.O. has established the first Heritage Cell within an Urban Local Body (ULB) in India in 1996. Apart from Ahmedabad, Rajasthan Government, Delhi-Development Authority (DDA), Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC), Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD), Cochin Municipal Corporation (CMC), Pondicherry Municipality have made efforts towards heritage conservation. The schemes can be divided in four categories, which are as follows: 

Category 1. Rajasthan Government's Public-Private peoples' participation scheme for conservation and development of cities having Heritage and Tourism importance: A scheme having public-private peoples' participation was launched by the Government of Rajasthan for conservation and development of 23 cities /towns having Heritage and Tourist importance in the year 2004. The cities are 1) Ajmer, 2) Alwar, 3) Bharatpur, 4) Bikaner, 5) Banswara, 6) Bundi, 7) Chahabra, 8) Chittorgarh, 9) Deeg, 10) Dungarpur, 11) Jaisalmer, 12) Jodhpur, 13) Jhalwar, 14) Kota, 15) Pushkar, 16) Sawai Madhopur, 17) Udaipur, 18) Sikar, 19) Chomu, 20) Mandwa, 21) Nawalgarh, 22) Jhunjhunu, 23) Fatehpur. It was decided to establish a Heritage Cell in the municipalities of the selected cities/ towns under the Chairmanship of the District Collector. The main idea was to identify and preserve the cities' natural and built heritage. It was also intended to educate the public about the heritage and involve them in preserving the heritage. The intention was also to promote tourism in the heritage cities and encourage the local craftsmen/women to sell their products directly to the tourists. Thus the local bodies of 23 selected cities were asked to keep a budget head for heritage component in the 2004-05 budget. One engineer from the local body and one town planner from the Town Planning Department were to be deputed to look after the work of the Heritage Cell. The listing is to be done with the help of INTACH. District level meetings involving various departments like Department of Archeology, Town Planning, Tourism, Local Bodies will be held under the chairmanship of District Collector for proper development, better coordination and less duplication of work in the Heritage Sector. Conservation regulation will be framed and provision in the model law will be formulated. Help from the NGOs working in the Heritage sector will be sought. The Local Government Department will be the nodal agency for the Conservation projects. 

Category 2. Delhi-Development Authority (DDA) / Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Model: The DDA and NMC look after the Heritage Cell formed in these local bodies. The aims and objectives are the same as those of others. 

Category 3. - Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD) / Cochin Municipal Corporation (CMC) These Municipal Corporations have created Heritage Cells within these Urban Local Bodies and have registered them as societies for better functional autonomy and efficiency. 

Category 4. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) / Pondicherry Municipality Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has set up its Heritage Cell in 1996 in collaboration with a NGO called CRUTA (Foundation for Conservation and Research of Urban Traditional Architecture). This is the first initiative in setting up a Heritage Cell in India. Later on, Pondicherry municipality has also set up a Heritage Cell along the same line with the help of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage)

* This note is based on the paper Role of Heritage Cells in Urban Local Bodies for Revival of Heritage Cells in India presented by Shri Debashish Nayak in National Workshop on Cultural, Heritage and Religious Cities, Peer Experience and Reflective Learning (PEARL), JNNURM on 2. 2. 2009 at Madurai. The above note is summarised by Dr. Basudha Chattopadhyay, NIUA

In the public interest, the Government of Gujarat felt the necessity to make variations in the General Development Control Regulations (G.D.C.R.) of revised Development Plan of Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority sanctioned in May 2002. The variations proposed, which was related to Heritage Regulations came into force in September 2007. This regulation applies to those buildings, artifacts, structures, areas and precincts having aesthetic and/or architectural and /or cultural and /or environmental significance and natural areas of scenic beauty including but not limited to sacred groves, hills, hillocks, water bodies (and the areas adjoining the same), open areas, wooded areas ('natural features') which will be listed by the Government. 

Restriction on development / redevelopment/ repairs etc.: It imposes restriction on development, redevelopment, repairs etc. No development, additions, alterations, repairs, renovations etc. will be allowed of the listed heritage buildings without the prior written permission of the competent authority. The Competent Authority will consult Heritage Conservation Committee before granting any such permission. The heritage Conservation Committee will consider suggestions and objections of the public before granting any permission for demolition or major alterations of the listed heritage buildings. The owners of the heritage buildings will be responsible for carrying out any repairs and maintenance at its own cost. 

Preparation of list of heritage buildings, heritage precincts and listed natural features: The list of heritage sites will not be part of the Regulation for the purpose of Section 19 of the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976. The list will be modified from time to time by Government and / or the Competent Authority on the advice of the Heritage Conservation Committee. 

Grading of the listed heritage buildings/ listed heritage precincts: The Heritage buildings, precincts should be graded as I, II, III. The definitions are as follows: "Heritage Grade I comprises buildings and precincts of national or historical importance, embodying excellence in architectural style, design, technology and material usage and/or aesthetics; they may be associated with a great historic event, personality, movement or institution. They have been and are the prime landmarks of the region. All natural sites shall fall within Grade I." "Heritage II (A&B) comprises buildings and precincts of regional or local importance possessing special architectural or aesthetic merit or cultural or historical significance though of a lower scale than in Heritage Grade I. They are local landmarks, which contribute to the image and identity of the region. They may be the work of master craftsmen or may be models of proportion and ornamentation, or designed to suit a particular climate." "Heritage Grade III comprises buildings and precincts of importance for townscape; they evoke architectural, aesthetic, or sociological interest though not as much as in Heritage Grade II. These contribute to determining the character of the locality and can be representative of the lifestyle of a particular community or region and may also be distinguished by setting on a street line, or special character, of the façade and uniformity of height, width and scale." 

Power to alter, modify or relax other General Development Control Regulations: On the advice of the Heritage Conservation Committee and for reasons recorded in writing the Competent Authority may/shall alter, modify, relax the provisions of General Development Control Regulations of the Draft Development Plan for AUDA. 

Special regulations for listed heritage precincts: In cases of heritage precincts and of natural features, development permissions shall be granted in accordance with the special regulations prescribed for respective precincts, natural features, which shall be framed by the Competent Authority on the advice of the Heritage Conservation Committee. 

Applicability of development proposals to listed heritage buildings/ listed heritage precincts: The development proposals (of the town) should be such as to protect and not to detract from the listed heritage precincts/ natural features. 

Incentive uses for listed heritage buildings: If the owner agrees to maintain the listed heritage building as it is in the existing state and to preserve its heritage state with due repairs and gives written undertaking to that effect, the owner may be allowed by the Competent Authority on the advice of the Heritage Conservation Committee to convert part or the whole of the non-commercial area within such a heritage building to commercial office use/ hotel use. If the heritage building is not maintained suitably, the commercial use would be disallowed. 

Creation of new incentives for heritage conservation: Incentives may be created for heritage conservation of listed heritage buildings / listed heritage precincts by the Competent Authority on the advice of the Heritage Conservation Committee. These incentives may include Transfer of Development Rights, the creation of a Repair Fund, Tax incentive etc. 

Maintaining skyline and architectural harmony: Buildings within listed heritage precincts and in the vicinity of listed Grade I heritage buildings/ listed natural features shall maintain the skyline and follow those architectural styles so as not to diminish or destroy the value and beauty of or the view from the said listed heritage precinct/ listed heritage building or of the listed natural features. 

Composition of heritage conservation committee: The Government shall constitute a Heritage Conservation Committee and frame the terms of reference. The said Committee will be composed of chairperson, 11 members and a member secretary. The composition and qualifications are specified.