The Puducherry government is considering a proposal to demolish an 18th century building which is believed to have been part of a complex housing the Mint during the French regime, following complaints from the neighbouring school on the danger it posed to children and parents owing to its dilapidated state.
The building, located on Rue de la Eveche, is a Grade II A heritage structure with an area of approximately 1,900 square metres. The building had been occupied by the Local Administration Department office till around ten years ago. Since then, it has been left unused and is in a state of disrepair.
The neighbouring Seventh Day Adventist Higher Secondary School had made a complaint to the Local Administration Department after school authorities noticed deepening cracks on the walls following rains recently, said Local Administration Department Director P.T. Rudra Goud. The Puducherry Muncipality has temporarily cordoned off the street from both sides. “There are more than 500 children in the school and we sent a complaint as we did not want to endanger their safety,” said an official of the SDA School.
Puducherry Municipality Commissioner R. Chandirasekaran said a proposal for the demolition of the building had been placed before the government for approval. He added that under the Pondicherry Municipalities Act, 1973, a building could be demolished if considered a danger to the public. Incidentally, the building was not included in the first list of 21 government-owned buildings notified as heritage buildings by the Puducherry Government in June this year.
The building is in a distressed condition with broken windows and damaged wooden rafters and beams, seepage on the walls, and plants taking root in the building’s walls.
It has features typical of French colonial architecture found in town like the open central courtyard, pilaster, cornice and wooden ceiling beams.
The building is believed to be the northern part of a complex known as ‘Hotel de la Monnaie’ or the Mint (including the site occupied by the present PWD building) during the French regime, which had housed the Mint. The French word ‘Imprimerie’ (printing press) can still be seen on its weathered wall.
Other heritage buildings in Puducherry face a similar fate if nothing is done to protect them, said A. Arul, senior architect, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Puducherry. “Real groundwork of restoring heritage buildings must be undertaken.
The government must allocate funds for it, and start with two to three buildings from the notified list of government-owned heritage buildings every year. With structural maintenance and restoration in time, the buildings can be put to adaptive reuse,” said Mr. Arul. The government should set an example for private owners to follow, he added.
A proposal for restoration of government-owned heritage buildings in Puducherry by INTACH had been made as far back as 2003, says Mr. Arul. Another proposal of INTACH in September 2013 had estimated Rs. 5.4 crore for the restoration of this former LAD building.
It had proposed the building could be used as a youth hostel.
A proposal for the demolition
of the building had been placed before the government
for approval
R. Chandirasekaran
Puducherry Municipality Commissioner
