Two months short of the first anniversary of the collapse of the iconic Mairie (Town Hall) building, plans on how to re-construct it appears to have deeply divided stakeholders and decision makers in Puducherry.
The World Bank, which had first been on board to fund the renovation of the Mairie through the Project Implementation Agency of the Puducherry Government, had later agreed to fund its reconstruction following the collapse of the building.
A recent meeting of the State Level Heritage Conservation Advisory Committee (SLHAC) conveyed its recommendation to reconstruct the Mairie as a Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) framed structure with a new foundation. However, several non-government members of the SLHAC have raised objections to the proposal. They have demanded that the Mairie be reconstructed using the traditional brick and lime-mortar construction as in the case of the original. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Puducherry chapter, a special invitee to the meeting, has also made its disagreement clear about going ahead with RCC.
“For any building of heritage value that is reconstructed or restored, the global practice is to carry out this work by staying true and as close to the original, local methods of construction. This alone will preserve the integrity of the site and structure. By using RCC, the Mairie building will lose all heritage value, it will become a falsity,” said SLHAC member and architect Devangi Ramakrishnan in her letter to the body. She added the move can have major repercussions on the reputation of Puducherry as a heritage tourism destination.
The SLHAC was reconstituted in September 2014 with 14 members including representatives from Departments of Town and Country Planning, Public Works, Local Administration, Tourism, Art and Culture, Puducherry Planning Authority and Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
Cost factor
The major argument which has been made mainly by the government officials in the SLHAC for RCC construction is the cost factor. Based on the estimates from the PWD (RCC framed structure) and INTACH (traditional construction), they have said that the PWD estimate comes to Rs. 7 crore, while the INTACH estimate comes to around Rs. 9.5 crore.
A.K. Das, Additional Co-Convenor, INTACH, said this is a miscalculation. “The PWD estimate is based on prices from 2013. The other factor is that the PWD estimate has not considered the annexe buildings in the Mairie complex. It is also not based on original dimensions. If the Mairie is to be reconstructed in RCC with original dimensions, the price goes up by another Rs.1.26 crores,” said Mr. Das.
Some of the other arguments include the lack of availability of materials like good quality lime and skilled workforce. Ashok Panda, Convenor, INTACH said, “We have been reconstructing portions of heritage structures using traditional materials. The Bharathiar museum is an example.”
Sunaina Mandeen of citizens group People for Pondicherry’s Heritage said that with the seafront’s corrosive atmosphere, there are examples of concrete buildings like the Chief Secretariat needing high maintenance.
A government official confirmed that a team from World Bank would be in Puducherry in the first week of October to discuss and finalise the proposal for the reconstruction of the Mairie.
