The heritage streets of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry that take visitors back in time may lose their grandeur, if agencies that are duty-bound to conserve buildings that date back to the colonial era, and even earlier, remain mute spectators to illegal renovation of such structures, say tourism and heritage conservation stakeholders.
“Agencies vested with the task of conserving heritage buildings and archaeological monuments must get their act together, failing which the two locales will lose their old-world charm that brings tourists by the thousand from across the world to these locales,” said Jose Dominic, co-founder of CGH Earth group. He also spearheads the renovation of a pair of houses on Synagogue Lane at Jew Town, Mattancherry. The demand attains significance in the wake of handicraft traders, other merchants, and heritage enthusiasts organising a protest on Saturday in front of a heritage building on Synagogue Lane when an attempt was made to replace its age-old tiled roof with metal sheets. The work was subsequently put on hold.
“It is heartening to note that traders, residents, and others responded realistically, promptly and showed the sensitivity of the community towards attempts to dilute heritage norms. They sent a powerful message on the need to conserve heritage. It is also appreciable that the organisation that owned the building realised its mistake and decided to halt the work. The aesthetics of such heritage buildings that are located strategically near monuments must be preserved at all cost.
