<b>AMC, France, HUDCO to sign pact in Nov

AMC, France, HUDCO to sign pact in Nov Sunday, October 21, 2001

BY SOURAV MUKHERJEE, TIMES NEWS NETWORK
AHMEDABAD: Come November and heritage conservation in the Walled City here will never be the same again. The French government, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Housing & Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) will sign a tripartite agreement which will see to it that the old Ahmedabad city retains its old-world charm for generations to come.

Those delicately carved facades, quaint yet earthquake-resistant architecture and spacious houses will be literally preserved in time for future Amdavadis and tourists alike.

French heritage conservationists and architects along with AMC will provide the know-how on the preservation of such buildings and temples, many of which are over 150 years old, while HUDCO will provide financial assistance through low-interest loans. It's a fresh lease of life that the Walled City is looking at.

This is also the first time ever that a financial institution like HUDCO has agreed to extend loans for repair and purchase of centuries' old buildings. "This is a significant change in the approach towards privately-owned heritage structures. With loans for years' old buildings their valuation, mortgage and ascertaining cost would be possible once the tripartite agreement is signed during the workshop slated for November 28, 29 and 30 in Ahmedabad," informed Debashis Nayak, who is looking after the heritage cell of AMC.

The three-day workshop will be attended by members of the French Embassy and technicians from France, senior officials of HUDCO and AMC. HUDCO, said sources, has volunteered to co-ordinate financial assistance to all applicants from heritage homes of Ahmedabad.

Other than generating academic interest, the workshop is being waited for by the 22 heritage building-owners of the Walled City who hope to get loans to rebuild and maintain their heirlooms for decades together.

Arvind Kumar Mehta, who owns a 100-year-old house in the Mota Sutharwada ni Pol in Khadia, is one such aspirant. "My house is now is dire need of repairs and upgradation, especially since the quake. It seemed impossible to reconstruct the house where I have lived my life because neither any NGO nor the banks were prepared to spare a thought for these heritage structures," Mehta told TNN.

But, his dreams may soon be realised with his name figuring atop the list of eligibles for getting financial assistance from HUDCO as well as the state heritage department. Mehta and his two sons, who wish to buy a house adjoining their 100-year-old house, are also readying papers for the first-ever loan from HUDCO for heritage structure purchase.

"Once the first loan for repair-maintenance of a century-old structure comes through, heritage conservation not only in Ahmedabad but in the whole country could go through a sea-change. This unique system that we are striving to set up could well be the prototype for other states to follow," said Nayak.

The unique system pointed out by Nayak consists of three components: free technical assistance from French experts, training local architects on the job of repairing and upgrading centuries' old buildings while retaining the old-world charm and low-interest financial assistance to convince owners into preserving the heritage of Ahmedabad.

This seemingly dream-come-true for heritage conservationists was however hanging fire with the French calling for modification of a rule under the BPMC Act. A draft of the proposed change in this rule has already been prepared by AMC and will now be sent for the state government's perusal and approval.

Once this change in BPMC Act is through, residents of the Walled City will have to take AMC's approval before demolishing any building and will be encouraged to retain the old city's character.

"Now that the ball has been set rolling, the tripartite agreement will herald in the second phase of AMC-French collaboration (the agreement between France and AMC had begun in 2000) on heritage conservation. With HUDCO joining forces with us the Walled City of Ahmedabad is indeed safe from land grabbers," said Nayak.

With technical expertise, trained artisans and architects along with loans from financial institutions and government grants, staying in heritage homes might yet become a fad in Ahmedabad.
News Source : The Times of India [India's best Newspaper]

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