10 of 25 ‘dangerous’ heritage houses have fallen in 2 years

Despite being India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City, Ahmedabad’s civic body has failed to preserve its heritage houses. Out of the 25 dangerously dilapidated heritage buildings, 10 have collapsed in the last two years, while the rest have been ignored. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has categorized 237 buildings as dangerous, with 136 either collapsing or being demolished. Only 57 buildings have been restored under the heritage property restoration policy. Lack of interest from officials and permission to convert heritage houses into commercial-cum-residential buildings are contributing to the disappearance of Ahmedabad’s heritage.