MCD to Geo-Tag 1,300 Heritage Buildings in Chandni Chowk and Daryaganj
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) announced on Tuesday that it will geo-tag more than 1,300 heritage buildings, including key historic landmarks in Chandni Chowk and Daryaganj, to integrate them with its building plan approval portal. This digital integration aims to automatically flag unauthorized construction and prevent violations of heritage protection norms in Old Delhi.
The decision follows several instances where building plans for heritage properties, particularly in Daryaganj, were approved without the necessary clearances from the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC). According to MCD officials, some property owners managed to obtain approvals by submitting incorrect affidavits, which went undetected because the properties were not flagged as heritage sites on the digital portal.
Under the new initiative, the MCD will hire a consultant to geo-tag 1,318 heritage sites. These properties, which include buildings, precincts, and natural features, were originally notified by the Delhi government’s urban development department in February 2010 on the advice of the HCC.
Once integrated, the online portal will automatically flag any building plan applications involving these geo-tagged heritage properties. The MCD is also preparing a new standard operating procedure to approve work on these structures to ensure conservation guidelines are met.
However, local property owners and traders in the area have expressed concern over the development. They stated that the process of obtaining permissions for heritage properties is already cumbersome, and they worry the new system will further complicate approvals even for basic repairs.
The geo-tagged data will eventually be used to create a digital heritage map of the city. This map will display the address, location, brief history, and key features of each site. Information boards will also be installed at the locations to assist visitors.
Several local historic sites in the area, including the Town Hall in Chandni Chowk, Fatehpuri Masjid, Hardayal Municipal Public Library, Kasturba Hospital, Sunehri Masjid, and Namak Haram Ki Haveli, were previously marked with blue plaques under an earlier heritage project.
