As many as 30 age-old buildings in Shillong will soon be tagged as ‘heritage sites’ under the Meghalaya Heritage Act 2012.
Of the 30 buildings, 23 belong to the State government while seven are privately owned.
Under the tag, these old buildings will not be dismantled but will be kept and maintained for their historical importance.
The government buildings include PWD Chief Engineer’s Building (Barik), Old High Court Building (within Assembly complex, Police Bazar), Golf Club House (Golf-links), Governor’s House, Tara Ghar (near Ward’s Lake), Pinewood Hotel (near Ward’s Lake), Lyndhurst Estate (New Colony), Chanchal Raj Bungalow (Rilbong), Beauchamp House (Bivar Road), Beauchamp Cottage (Bivar Road), Lumpyngngad Bungalow, Brightwell Bungalow, Shrubberies Bungalow (Bivar Road), Crabtree Bungalow (Dhankheti), Bracken Hill Bungalow (Lumpyngngad), Lake House Bungalow (near Ward’s Lake), Lake Side Bungalow (near Pine Wood Hotel), Miramar Bungalow (Bivar Road), Rupshi Bungalow (Laitumkhrah), Chandralaya Bungalow (Bivar Road), Inverniel Bungalow (Laban), Greenview Bungalow No. 1 (Rilbong), Greenview Bungalow No.2 (Rilbong).
The private buildings which will be tagged as ‘heritage sites’ are All Saints’ Church (IGP Point), Presbyterian Church (Police Bazar), Tripura Castle (Risa Colony), St. Edmund’s Chapel and School Hall (Laitumkhrah), Brookside Bungalow (Rilbong), and Shillong Club (Kachari Road).
The proposal for listing these old buildings as ‘heritage sites’ will be discussed and approved by the Meghalaya Heritage Authority at its meeting scheduled to be held soon.
The Meghalaya Heritage Act 2012 was enacted to provide for conservation and protection of heritage sites which shall include buildings, artefacts, structures, areas, streets and precincts of historic or cultural or environmental significance (heritage buildings and heritage precincts) and natural features of environmental significance and sites of scenic beauty and also to provide for conservation and protection of areas of environmental sensitivity.
As per the Act, ‘heritage sites’ means those buildings, artefacts, structures, street s, area and precincts of historic of aesthete or architectural or cultural of environmental significance (hereinafter referred to as “listed buildings” or “heritage buildings” and listed precinct or “heritage precincts”) and those natural features of environmental significance and site and scenic beauty including but not instructed to, sacred groves, mountains, hills, hillocks, lakes, river and other water rides, bridle paths (hereinafter referred to as “listed natural fractures”) which are included in a list(s) published by notification in the Official Gazette, by the Authority from time to time.
