It is nearly a decade now after the much-hyped S.M. Street heritage project was mooted. The mission was to give a facelift to the oldest street in the city.
Beautification and conservation were projected as the main agenda during the initial phase of discussions. Safety and security of the old buildings and the frequent fire outbreaks were also major concerns.
In 2005, the project got a fillip with the then Collector, Rachna Shah, taking up the task with the then Tourism Minister K.C. Venugopal. Things lost steam midway as some of the merchants in the area declined to hand over consent letters. Even after several years, the situation remains the same with the continuing opposition to the project by a group of traders who fear the loss of their property at the commercial hub. The previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had allotted Rs.1 crore for the project but it lapsed due to delay in implementation. The present United Democratic Front (UDF) government set apart Rs.50 lakh for the project but things remain unchanged.
The main objection was from merchants who owned buildings constructed prior to 1999. Fire and Rescue Services officials say the sheer number of old buildings that take advantage of the loopholes in the Kerala Municipal Building Rules of 1999 continues to be the big hurdle.
Any building above three storeys must get a no-objection certificate from the Fire and Rescue Services Department as per the 1999 rules. But, this rule is not applicable to constructions done prior to 1999. The rule is not applied in retrospective effect and owners and traders take advantage of this loophole.
The basic town planning provision that each building should have a setback of at least five metres on all four sides is hardly followed in S.M. Street. Commercial establishments do not have parking spaces. The narrow link roads inside the busy street are used as parking slots by those who come to S.M. Street.
