MUMBAI: The Indian Navy has requested state-appointed heritage committee to take several of its colonial buildings, including barracks and office buildings constructed in neo-classical style, off the list of protected structures.
In a letter to the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), the Navy has requested structures in Colaba's naval area be de-notified as it does not make sense to approach MHCC to take permission for every renovation, restoration and repair work. "A permanent `blanket cover' to carry out repairs in and around heritage structures would mean the Navy may not need to approach us on a case by case basis. According to them, such a permission will help in efficient maintenance of heritage buildings,'' said a member of MHCC.
In 1999, the Navy had commissioned a systematic inventory of all heritage buildings it owned in Mumbai. But heightened security measures over the years have ensured public access to some of Mumbai's oldest colonial buildings remained limited. Many of island city's listed grade I heritage structures, including Ballard Bunder Gatehouse, Heritage Hall and Portuguese Sundial in Naval Dockyard, are located inside restricted naval areas.
The Ballard Bunder Gatehouse is, in fact, the Navy's official entry to this year's UNESCO heritage awards. Conservation architects and experts, who have worked hard with the Navy to bring these colonial structures in public domain, said such a permission, if given, would hit further attempts to conserve Mumbai's oldest buildings.
"It is surprising that Indian Navy, which takes great pride in the upkeep of these buildings, has sought such a permission,'' said historian Sharda Dwivedi, who co-authored a coffee-table book on heritage structures in naval areas. MHCC chairman Dinesh Afzalpurkar said the Navy's request has to be studied carefully before any decision is taken. "It would be difficult to give such a blanket permission to the Navy,'' he said.
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