Mr Vijay Phanshikar, in his article in ‘Footloose in Nagpur’ dated April 9, has made a waking call to citizens to save the Grade-I Heritage site Kasturchand Park from Government transgression through Metro Rail planning. The question is who has given Metro Rail the rights to initiate and execute faulty planning of permanent encroachment of the iconic heritage site? Is the State Administration not responsible for protecting its framed rules on heritage conservation? Why is the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) acting as a fence which eats its own grass? The great philanthropist Diwan Bahadur Sir Seth Kasturchand Daga, KCIE, had given the gift of iconic ‘Kasturchand Park’ to this historic city. The heritage loving citizens of Nagpur are aghast at the silence of the Heritage Conservative Committee, NMC, NIT and other planning and governing authorities of Nagpur.

 

The faulty planning of Metro Rail authorities has already jeopardised the road connectivity between East and West Nagpur. The yesteryear pride of Nagpur city ‘Central Avenue’ should have had a two-tier flyover for both Metro Rail and vehicular traffic. In the absence of a double decker flyover, the Central Avenue is bearing the brunt of severe traffic hazard. A very famous educational institute of yesteryears ‘Govt. Multipurpose Patwardhan Higher Secondary School’ was the first to get hit by faulty planning of Metro Rail. It seems Metro Rail has the license to kill heritage sites, prominent schools, etc. The fact is the helpless citizens of Nagpur city can not go far to stop this encroachment of the heritage site of Kasturchand Park. The conservation of the heritage site of Kasturchand Park requires the intervention of city fathers. The citizens will certainly expect the Guardian Minister of Nagpur to respond to the huge public concern and initiate the proceedings to safeguard the Grade-I heritage site of Kasturchand Park.