IIT-Roorkee flags heritage concerns

In another setback to the UT Administration, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, has raised concerns over two major projects planned at the Capitol Complex, Sector 1, citing their potential impact on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

However, the institute has approved one of the three proposed projects. The report comes months after the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO, in September 2023, suspended three projects at the Capitol Complex for affecting its Outstanding Universal Value. Following the UNESCO decision, the UT Administration had sought a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) from IIT-Roorkee to evaluate the feasibility of the projects.

According to officials, IIT-Roorkee has expressed an adverse view on the holistic development plan for the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the construction of two additional floors on the High Court building. However, the institute has given a positive nod to the construction of a subterrain structure behind the Open Hand Monument at the Capitol Complex.

UNESCO had raised concerns that the proposed projects could alter the integrity and authenticity of the Capitol Complex, which was designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier and added to the World Heritage list in 2016.