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Bombay Chamber of Commerce to focus on heritage conservation

Andrea Lopez - Mumbai

The Bombay Chamber of Commerce (BCC) laid down its agenda at the recently convened meeting in Mumbai, which included the restoration of forts, caves and other heritage monuments in the state. Speaking at the meeting, chairman of the committee, Lalit Seth, said, "The idea is to discuss and act on practical, achievable solutions."

The BCC plans to look into the maintenance of four identified forts in Maharashtra: Sewri, Bandra, Worli and the Riva forts, all of which currently lie in a dilapidated condition. It also plans to develop a mangrove park and a flamingo bay around the Sewri fort.

The government of India had already allotted Rs 12 crore (an improvement from the previous budget of Rs 70 lakh) to MTDC to maintain the forts and their surroundings. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has already begun work on two of the designated forts and plans are afoot to invite corporates to participate in their restoration. Says Sujata Thakur, regional director, India Tourism, "We are looking at getting more private players and hoteliers involved in this. States like Andhra Pradesh and Kerala already have the public-private partnership mode in place."

Anita Garware, chairperson of the Indian Heritage Society pointed out that public-private partnership would go a long way in preserving heritage monuments. "This model brings people, resources, strength and a common will to work together and that is how the Banganga heritage precinct in Mumbai was restored in 2000," she says. To prevent the government from filling up the Banganga Tank, Garware initiated a festival around the tank.

The first festival was initiated in 1992 with backing from MTDC, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and two private banks, HSBC and Citibank. Says Garware, "The project has been one of its kind; it is a true model of a public-private initiative working positively to attain a goal and is a 15 year-old success story." The festival is now a two-day musical extravaganza and is held along the periphery of the lake at the beginning of every year. What began as a move to preserve heritage has evolved to a tourist attraction. Apart from this, the BCC also reiterated the need to cash in on festivals as well as circuit tourism in the state.

The BCC's other plans include the revival and popularisiation of the concept of bandstands in the city, wherein local entertainers perform at designated locations for weekend revelers. The first bandstand performance was scheduled for September 27. To enhance a visitor's experience, the city's transportation system is being revved up as well and BEST buses have already begun issuing pre-paid passes and smart cards, which will soon be accepted by suburban trains. Said Uttam Khobragade, general manager, BEST Undertaking, "We will be introducing luxury Volvo buses and plan to equip them and other buses with cameras to keep a check on any untoward incidents."