EVEN though the heritage buildings in Srinagar have been an attraction for many, particularly the tourists coming to this world famed scenic City, successive regimes have done little to conserve the traditional structures.
 Past two odd decades have witnessed a surge in “vandalization” of several such buildings. While many of them were either gutted, or demolished for construction of new lot, no concern was shown towards the façade control in line with the heritage characteristics of the area. And this way this historic City started fast loosing its heritage looks.
 But the irony remains that successive regimes failed to lay down norms for façade control though they spoke a lot on the issue.

THE EMPORIUM INITIATIVE
 Some seven years ago when Emporium building near Abdullah bridge was gutted, the then government was so keen to uphold the heritage character of the place that it got the new building constructed exactly resembling the old one build by the Maharajas.
 The conservation measures believed to be a brainchild of Naeem Akhter, a then bureaucrat drew applauds from various quarters while the then Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Syed while inaugurating the building termed the development a milestone towards revival of heritage.
 Observers say if the then government was “truly serious” towards heritage conservation it should have evolved mechanism for façade control for other areas of significance as well. But then, the heritage conservation efforts didn’t go beyond the Emporium lawns.

CRITICISM, NO SOLUTION?
 If the PDP-led coalition failed to introduce the norms, so couldn’t its rival, the ruling National Conference led government.
 Last year in June at the inauguration of Sangarmaal shopping plaza, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that most new shopping complexes which have come up in the City look “very ugly” presumably because they don’t go in line with the heritage character of Srinagar.
 Omar asked aspiring builders to take a lesson from Sangarmaal, a building, which the government says has been constructed on heritage lines. But a more fruitful concern from the CM could have been by directing concerned authorities to go for façade control norms in Srinagar.

THE FAÇADE CONTROL PROPOSAL
 Interestingly in May this year, prominent expert of heritage and retired bureaucrat Muhammad Saleem Beg picked up the issue of façade control during a meeting on proposed restoration of Maharaj Gunj area in Shahr-e-Khaas on heritage lines.
 The meeting amongst others was attended by senior officials from civic bodies, engineering wings and the tourism officials.
 When heritage façade was discussed, one and all including senior officials and journalists agreed that there was a dire need of check on the building exteriors.
 Even the Chief Town Planner Iftikhar Hakeem minced no words that façade control was need of the hour.
 A German scholar, Stephen who has studied the Shahr-e-Khaas heritage pitched that leave apart facades, even the lamp posts and dustbins in Srinagar should be “typical of its historic identity.”
 But then the officials couldn’t take any concrete decision in the meeting.

SMC, SDA FACTOR
 Observers opine that the organizations like Srinagar Municipal Corporation and the Srinagar Development Authority need to evolve building norms to conserve the heritage looks.
 “These two authorities mainly give building permissions in the City so the best way out is that if they evolve the standards for maintaining façade in consultation with experts,” says Muhammad Saleem Beg.
 The SMC Commissioner Sheikh Mushtaq however sheds the responsibility from his shoulders saying the civic body alone cannot take the decision.
 “Let a collective decision be taken and norms finalized, I will implement them,” he says.

WHAT CAN BE CONSERVED?
 It’s not that the façade of all the buildings has to be conserved. Experts say all that has been left behind has to be conserved for posterity.
 The INTACH has already listed such buildings in the City. These, in words of Muhammad Saleem Beg, include: Whatever is left on the Bund requires proper façade control.
 Besides the façade at Budshah Chowk and Lal Chowk(Ganda Mal building) also needs to be conserved.
 As about the left over legacy in Shahr-e-Khaas, the river front façade of the buildings along the banks of Jhelum need to be conserved between the Zaina Kadal to Aali Kadal and Aali Kadal to Nawa Kadal stretches.
 “It creates harmony in architecture. We should learn a lesson from Maharaj Gunj how commercial and residential facades lived in harmony,” Beg says.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 20 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST