Preparing SOP for heritage sites: MCD tells Supreme Court | India News

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday informed the Supreme Court that they are preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for heritage sites under its control and geomapping of the notified heritage structures to facilitate more accurate identification and conservation from future encroachment and neglect.This was informed by the civic agency in an affidavit filed on Monday ahead of a hearing before the top court on Wednesday on protection and preservation of heritage sites in Delhi.The development assumes significance as two months ago, the court had pulled up the agency for suppressing facts and misleading the court on the encroachment status of five Grade-1 heritage buildings in south Delhi’s Zamroodpur even as a report by HT showed them to be under heavy encroachment.The affidavit said, “The MCD is in the process of preparing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the heritage sites falling within its jurisdiction, with the object of bringing greater uniformity and clarity to the processes of identification, inspection, documentation, reporting and follow-up action in relation to such sites.”Also Read: MCD issues over 350 show-cause notices in 17 days since Satya Niketan building collapse tragedyIt said that the same is presently “under preparation” and is expected to be finalised before the end of this month.Further, the response said, “The MCD is further examining the feasibility of undertaking geomapping of the notified heritage sites falling within its jurisdiction so as to facilitate more accurate identification and location-based monitoring of the sites.”The document was filed by the corporation in a petition filed by Delhi resident Rajeev Suri, where the court is monitoring the preservation and upkeep of heritage structures and sites in Delhi managed and controlled by the ASI, the Delhi government, and civic agencies.Suri filed an application highlighting an HT report from August 10 depicting a sorry state of affairs in Zamroodpur’s heritage tombs, which are under heavy encroachment. He further informed the court that on April 10 this year, MCD filed a status report indicating that upon survey, one of the five tombs located in Delhi’s Zamroodpur conservation was in a satisfactory state, while encroachment and littering were noticed around three other structures.The status report did not depict the clear picture and the HT report testified how facts were being suppressed before the court.Further, the court-appointed commissioners, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan along with advocates Nipun Saxena and Vishal Sinha, pointed out that in Zamroodpur, there are five Grade-1 heritage buildings under MCD, of which one cannot be traced.A list submitted by them gave details of four other properties: two under MCD – Lal Mahal in Nizamuddin (reported as missing in INTACH report of 2020), Tilangani Tomb (encroached and used as living space) and two under ASI control – Atgah Khan’s tomb (completely damaged and encroached) and Gogabai’s Tomb and Lal Chaubara (fully encroached with portions demolished).On August 24, the bench of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N Kotiswar Singh pulled up the MCD for misleading the court and said, “There is total callousness and suppression of facts by the MCD, as it is revealed how MCD took a categorical stand that such structure was free of encroachment.” The court referred to the HT report along with a report by another national daily and said, “The pictures are so appalling. We are not able to understand how such a stand could be taken by MCD.”Going by the court commissioners’ report, the bench directed, “We are left with no option but to direct the personal presence of the Additional Commissioner of MCD and Director General, ASI to show cause by way of affidavit why this court should not take serious note of such conduct and pass appropriate orders.”Further, the bench observed, “If this situation continues with regard to all structures of which MCD/ASI have purportedly conducted a survey and given a report that is found to be incorrect, this court will straightaway take action against the officials.”The present response filed by MCD’s Heritage Cell Additional Commissioner Sanjeev Mittal informed the court that pursuant to the court’s August 24 order, show cause notice was issued to the concerned Junior Engineer (Maintenance Division, South Zone) for initiating disciplinary proceedings for mentioning wrong facts in the inspection report submitted to the court. Warning letters were also issued to the concerned Executive Engineer and Assistant Engineer of the same zone.The MCD subsequently undertook fresh inspections of 87 sites under its jurisdiction, including the five sites in Zamroodpur, in the presence of court commissioners. The civic body has signed an agreement with the Aga Khan Cultural Services Forum (AKCSF) for the conservation and restoration of the above sites.The court commissioners too filed a separate report based on the field survey of the Zamroodpur tombs. They reported that none of the five monuments are maintained and suffer from “decades of neglect”. The interiors of all the monuments were used as dumping yards and one was used as a cow shed till recently, when the MCD cleared the mess following court’s order.They found no proper access routes to reach these monuments and noted how the structures have been “swallowed” by the surrounding residential buildings with electrical poles and wires abutting the monument walls. The commissioners raised serious structural integrity concerns as the residential buildings, some built up to seven floors, lack regulatory checks as they fall under ‘Lal Dora’ which is exempt from municipal building bylaws and sanction plans.