Summary:
AHMEDABAD/VADODARA: If Ahmedabad — a World Heritage City — ever faces Kerala-like flood fury, one of the biggest casualties will be its heritage structures. “I had proposed guidelines on the steps to be taken for conserving heritage structures if any calamity strikes the city,” he said. Jigyasu had done a two-year study on heritage risk management during disasters in Ahmedabad with the National Institute of Disaster Management about five years ago. I never got any call from them to discuss risk-mitigation plans which are so important now that Ahmedabad has got the World Heritage City status.”Jigyasu warned that some of the old structures may face irreparable damage if there is an earthquake or heavy floods. But he rued the fact that the state government has done little to put in place risk-mitigation plans for its heritage in case a natural calamity strikes the city.“As the member of the team that prepared the World Heritage City proposal for Ahmedabad, my focus was on risk assessment and mitigation plan for its heritage structures,” Jigyasu told TOI..