The destruction of the century-old office of the Shillong Bar Association (SBA) in a massive fire that took place yesterday has caused a lot of concern over the safety of heritage buildings in Shillong.
It may be mentioned that this office of the SBA was built soon after the association was formed in 1913.
The wooden building is used by several lawyers who used to regularly take up cases in the district court and Meghalaya High Court.
East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Rosette Mary Kurbah has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire incident at the SBA office building.
Before the fire incident at the SBA, Shillong has seen three destructions of heritage buildings.
The 125-year-old structure that housed the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly at Khyndai Lad was burned down in a devastating fire on January 9, 2001.
The historic structure, constructed of pinewood in 1874, was reduced to ashes in the fire. The State government is constructing a new Assembly at Mawdiangdiang.
The building of 117-year-old Church of God at Qualapatty was gutted in a devastating fire in the wee hours of November 17, 2019. The church building was built in 1902.
A new church building is under construction and is expected to be fully completed next year at an estimated cost of Rs 12 crore.
The 131-year-old Khasi Jaiñtia Presbyterian (KJP) Girls Higher Secondary School in Mission Compound was razed to the ground after a major fire broke out in the heritage building in the early hours of May 21, 2023. The school was founded in 1892.
Recently, there were proposals to tag 30 old buildings in Shillong 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 by the Meghalaya Heritage Authority.
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 Meghalaya Heritage Act 2012 was enacted to provide for conservation and protection of heritage sites which shall include buildings, artifacts, 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.
