Redevpt nod for 290 structures on draft heritage list

They May Not Be On Final Inventory Mumbai: While a debate rages over the proposed draft heritage list, 290 structures on the inventory are found to be in different stages of redevelopment. A five-year delay in the finalization of the list has resulted in those old buildings being given the nod to be torn down to make way for towers. The same fate awaits more such tagged structures as it will take almost till August next year before the heritage index is finalized.      TOI has earlier reported about how several structures, proposedtodon a heritagetag,  weredemolished and replaced by highrises. Experts say further loss could be averted if the process for finalization is expedited.      According to the civic rules, a structure—however old it might be or with historical values—is not immune to redevelopment as long as it is on a proposed and not a finalized heritage list. Permission for its revamp can be granted under the building proposal rules. The data accessed from the BMC shows that redevelopment permissions have been grantedto290structures, of which 212 are in the western suburbs, 55 in the eastern suburbs and 23 in the island city. "As the list is in the draft stage, redevelopment permissions to the 290 structures were granted according to the building proposal norms. Such go-aheads arelikely tobe given to other structures till the inventory is finalized," said municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte. The compilation of the draft list started in 2005 and the process ended in 2007.      After taking into account all the old buildings that would be torn down to be replaced with new structures, the final list is not likely to have all the old names on it.      The list proposes to include 947 new structures and 47 precincts, in addition to the existing 586 structures and 15 precincts. Currently, suggestions and objections are being invited for the inclusion of the structures on the heritage list and it will take another eight to nine months before the names are finalized. So far, the BMC has received around 800 suggestions and objections that will be forwarded to the state government, which will then appoint a reviewing committee to study them. The review committee members will visit the sites and even call the people involved for hearings whileconsidering thesuggestions and objections before finalizing the heritage list.      "We will inform the reviewing committee about the buildings that have gone in for redevelopment. It will be up to the committee to decide whether those structures should be part of the final list or not," said Kunte.