CHENNAI: The heritage conservation committee is being sidelined by the Public Works Department while constructing structures or altering historically-significant buildings.
It is learnt that in a few cases including the recent constructions in the Stanley government hospital, the heritage committee was informed only after the constructions were completed. The PWD built a four-storeyed super-speciality hospital block on Stanley hospital premises without the nod from the heritage conservation committee. As per norms, the committee’s clearance should be obtained prior to any construction or alterations in the heritage buildings identified in the city. PWD officials were not available for comments.
Official sources said the department sought permission of the heritage committee after the construction was almost over at the Stanley hospital premises. When the committee visited the campus on August 24, 2016 and September 22, 2016, they found the construction in the final stages. At a recent meeting, the committee observed there was no need to issue clearance for the construction at the Staley hospital premises because it was in the final stages and returned the file to the PWD, which, in turn, justified its decision to go ahead with the project because of ‘necessity and urgency.”
The committee has also recorded its objection to the PWD’s filing of application for clearance after the construction was over. It has urged the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to advise the PWD on the need to obtain consent of the heritage committee at the planning stage itself when additional construction or alteration to a heritage building is proposed. Interestingly, this is not a lone case. The PWD has violated norms again while constructing new buildings at the premises of the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research, Guindy.
An official source said in this case also, approval was sought after completion of six buildings for the National Centre of Ageing on the campus at Guindy. The PWD has informed the heritage committee that in the case of the King Institute campus, the heritage building was located away from the new buildings which were built in a sub-divided site enclosed by a compound wall.