AGED AND WRINKLED HISTORY

My neighbors and I, more like a family I’d say, we are unable to keep your heritage, your legacy, your greatness built and bestowed in the past. We are apologetic, but we have aged enough. Modernity isn’t a crime, but to kill us in the process would take away much. I have been home to pigeons, to people, to souls, I have been a part of this progress. At the least I hope to see a few more years.

Even after all the Metro Rail constructions in the area, the heritage buildings around Poonamalle High Road are yet to see some repair. In this stretch of our heritage buildings the worst hit was the 104-year-old Ripon building, a part of which is the Greater Chennai Corporation. In 2011, the tunneling procedure began for the metro rail by Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), stemming from which the initial cracks to our Ripon were seen. According to A.S. Murugan, the Executive engineer of Chennai Corporation the mending process had begun but cracks appeared a year ago. A more concerned Murugan said that there was a repairing process that had started just about a week ago and the newer cracks that continued to expand were supposedly controlled.

The building was made of mere bricks and lime mortar, repairing it would need special structural strength that could be implemented while executing that through the use of steel plating and lime grouting. The building is irreparable using concrete and plaster. It has aged beyond modern methods. Its old well-based foundation has been shaken now, cracks run like wrinkles. The tunnelling into the ground had destabilized its foundation upon arrays of terracotta wells built with solid rubble.  Its joints of parapets, handrails, windows, and the ionic and Corinthian style composite columns, all are hurt, the cracks are heavy to carry. The front and middle, its ten thousand square meters have cracks all over.

“Where the crack starts from directs to the reason behind its development,” said Thirupurasundari Sevvel, an architecture planner and heritage consultant. She said that these cracks as structural continuous cracks coming from the building foundation and that the windows and false roofing are vulnerable points and that’s why they are most susceptible to developing continuous cracks. It is a sad picture to see this heritage building becoming unsafe for the surrounding buildings and human lives.

Whereas, the corporation’s Chief Engineer (buildings) N Mahesan defended the pride of Ripon building by saying that these cracks are superficial and not threatening to the building structure. “There is no strict law saving the heritage buildings in Chennai unlike Kolkata or Delhi,” said Mr. Murugan. The metro rail authorities are looking into the damage and the following effects.

Pointing to the fact that the metro rail planning did not consider damaging such significant heritage sites Ms. Sevvel said, “It was easier for the government to place it there. 60% of the metro railway is in heritage spots and 40% are being placed near parks and other public spaces and government owned buildings.” But there have been attempts by the government to formalize and take into account the heritage structures of the city. The 2010 Heritage Conservation Committee was formed to scrutinize all heritage buildings of Chennai. But they did not follow up after one report, complained Ms. Sevvel. Regarding urban construction Justice Padmanabhan committee’s report is supposed to be followed by government offices. The committee had mapped all heritage buildings and precincts (cluster of heritage structures) and listed heritage buildings part by part. Ms. Sevvel believes that the government does not adhere to what is to be done at the very basic level. She went on to suggest having an urban planning commission intervene in all such city projects in order to save all such Indo-Saracenic colonial architecture that Chennai is famous for.

Ripon building wasn’t the only one to fall prey to modernity. Its more reputable neighbor, the red-bricked Victoria Public Hall had faced the same fate as it did.  Age didn’t let it stand the torture of modern development. Designed in Romanesque style, with arcaded verandas supported by Corinthian stone columns, it is a relic of the cultural past of Madras Presidency hosting important public meetings and theatrical productions after being founded in the 1880s.