Repair Not Redevelop, Seminar

Repair not redevelop VIKAS DILAWARI TO practice conservation in Mumbai, ings, which has given me deeper one must be lucky to have the right cli- insights as to how easy and cost effec- ent who understands and sympathizes tive it is to repair as against the ram- with the word ‘conservation’. I was pant unquestioned redevelopment fortunate to have one such client, the mantra being currently practised in Garib Zarthostiona Rehethan Fund, a Mumbai. benevolent trust looking after the low/ Working on this project has re- middle income group, residential hous- inforced for me the age-old conviction ing needs of the Parsi community. that it is usually more economical and Unusually, this trust believed in wiser to repair rather than reconstruct repairing and maintaining a heritage or redevelop. It helps in reviving the lost property rather than in demolition and skills and craftsmanship of various ar- redevelopment, and in doing so, bear- tisans; retains the socio-cultural rela- ing the entire cost of the repair and not tionship and harmony between people burdening the tenants with the costs, and place, and does not burden the this being the ideal professional as well fragile century-old urban infrastruc- as legal position. The trust owns about ture. Such a resource saving approach 50 such unloved, under-appreciated is the need of the hour for Mumbai, but definitely ‘heritage’ buildings in which in the absence of good planning Mumbai city, scattered around Central and development guidelines, is on a and South Mumbai, as part of various rampant path of insensitive redevelop- community housing schemes which ment. were prevalent in the 19th century. A High Court ruling of February Working with this trust for the past five 2014 has removed Grade III and other years, I have been responsible for the buildings in the precincts from seeking 2 conservation of at least a dozen build- redevelopment approval from the SEMINAR 657 – May 2014 MHCC (Mumbai Heritage Conserva- tenanted buildings, now nearly a cen- external private developer is now in- tion Committee). As a result, we will tury old, are completely neglected and volved in redevelopment. The redevel- see a lot more redevelopment rather ill-maintained. This constitutes the bulk oped buildings are cooperative than repair of old buildings in the herit- of the inner city’s building stock. Many societies, charging market based age precincts. The Lal Chimney Com- of these buildings are in extremely poor maintenance rates and taxes after re- pound conservation is thus an condition with some even having col- development, which the original ten- important case study to demonstrate lapsed, resulting in loss of lives, while ants often cannot afford. Hence, they to the government and citizens of others are in various stages of dilapi- are pushed to areas that are at the pe- Mumbai what effective repairs can do, dation. Not surprisingly, people do not riphery of the city. In the process, they and hope this leads to a policy that want to stay in such buildings. But as lose their moorings and base, which is incentivizes repair of heritage struc- the rents are very low (due to the Rent undesirable, as eventually ‘people tures over their demolition, followed by Control Act), the tenants prefer to lock make places’. The new flats in the re- insensitive redevelopment. their premises, anticipating redevelop- developed buildings are sold to the ment at some later stage. In the proc- more affluent, resulting in an increase ess they block access to these of unaffordable housing stock. The Mumbai faces an acute shortage of affordable houses for others. The gov- builders reap super-profits while urban affordable housing. As an island city, ernment has refrained from altering or density increases significantly, leading land is limited and the monetary value abolishing the Rent Control Act, as it to a poorer quality of life and infra- of available land is amongst the high- fears losing out on popular vote banks. structure that just cannot cope with an est in the world. Rental housing that Consequently, these buildings have increase in loads. was prevalent till the 1960s and ’70s deteriorated with every passing dec- was able to fulfil the demand. How- ade. ever, when the rental system was Let us now look at the conservation stopped and ownership of flats started, of the Lal Chimney Compound. The the affordable housing stock was badly What has worsened the already ex- goal of this project was to make the hit, changing the dynamics of the city isting dismal situation is the recent government consider offering incen- from community to class dominated change of rules that now give unjusti- tives equivalent to the cost of compre- housing. Comparatively speaking, no fiable incentives for demolition and re- hensive repairs as additional FSI or other city in the country has such an development over repairs. With a TDR (Transfer of Development acute shortage of affordable housing, higher FSI (Floor Space Index) avail- Rights) to landlord and tenants. This which is a matter of grave concern for able for redevelopment schemes, an would significantly prolong the life of Mumbai’s future. Historically, in the late 19th century, affordable housing was provided for cotton mill workers by the mill own- ers. Later, the City Improvement Trust provided similar single room tenements with common service facilities (e.g., the BDD chawls) in areas around the mills, in what is now considered central Mumbai. This trend continued till the mid-20th century into the suburbs where land was relatively cheaper. With the advent of the cooperative housing society model in the late 1960s, the availability of rental accommoda- tion declined. One of Mumbai’s major draw- backs is its frozen rents since 1944 (af- 3 ter World War II) due to the Rent Control Act. As a result, about 19000 Lal Chimney ariel view post restoration. SEMINAR 657 – May 2014 the existing building stock in the city Chimney building complex is a modest and a string course runs at some floor until the next development plan of example of good community housing levels, and the common passages have Mumbai is prepared, within two dec- of the late 19th and early 20th century decorative wooden railings and lou- ades. At the insistence of tenants, the in Mumbai. The complex takes one vred ventilators, adding to the architec- repairs and restoration undertaken in back to an era when a simple life took tural character of the buildings. Though the Lal Chimney Compound case precedence over pretence, and where the buildings are not particularly signifi- were of a high standard and quality. beauty was evident in the tiny details cant for their architectural style, they The vacant flats of these repaired as seen in the excellent craftsmanship remain good examples of architecture, buildings were rented out again, thus that was then the established standard urban design, town planning and a pre- creating affordable housing stock of work. These buildings were not cinct that has an overall character with (which is the need of the hour) for the listed as heritage buildings or precincts mass and scale and an interactive com- city from amongst existing resources. when their repair work commenced in munity system. 2009. The complex is located in front The Parsi’s are one of the more af- of Nair Hospital in Bombay Central All five buildings follow the same fluent communities in the country that (East) and is set within a cluster of five construction methodology. The main has shown concern about the housing buildings which are similar in scale, structure consists of brick load bear- needs of its. It has constructed baugs mass and volume. This entire stretch ing external walls that have a thickness (gated colonies with garden) for the on Dr Nair Road had a similar building of 16 to 20 inches and the construction more affluent members of the commu- stock, all for housing, and broadly for of slab is a jack arch with steel joist nity as seen in South Mumbai. Among three communities – the Bohris (Mus- supports. In the kitchen area and some other examples are Cusrow Baug and lim), the Parsis and the Christians. The rooms, the slabs have been strength- Rustom Baug. It has also built entire compound has a rear secondary street ened by the addition of steel support colonies like the Dadar Parsi Colony which serves as a service alley. This perpendicular to the direction of hid- which was part of the Town Planning area was well laid out, with gardens and den I-sections. However, no recon- Scheme for middle income members open grounds, and remains one of the struction of slab was ever carried out. of the community. This colony is de- better planned areas on the outskirts The balcony or verandah or passage signed with adequate open spaces, i.e., of the inner city. has teak posts and beams. The plinth five gardens. Lastly, several com- is made up of basalt stone and the stair- pounds or cluster of buildings (like a case is wooden. The top floor has teak complex) were built for the less fortu- The ground plus two storey structures trusses below the rafters/purlins and nate members. The former two types are bilaterally symmetrical in planning. on them are the teak boarding, with a of community housing are looked af- The neighbourhood still affords a pic- tiled roof above. ter by the Bombay Parsi Punchayat turesque view in spite of the new resi- In the 1970s when most of the Trust (BPPT), the second largest in- dential towers that have sprung up, tenantable building stock in Mumbai dividual private landowner of proper- thereby completely eroding the urban was approximately 70 years old, and ties in Mumbai after the Mumbai Port design characteristics of this road.

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