Fires reduce rich heritage, age-old architecture to ashes

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, November 3

Frequent fire incidents in Kullu destroying houses and properties in villages have become a matter of concern. Eminent historians say that the fires are not only causing loss of life and property but also destroying rich cultural heritage and age-old ‘Kath-Kuni’ architecture of the area.

“The structures can be rebuilt but the heritage cannot. The centuries-old architecture of Kath-Kuni, the religious beliefs of the villagers and the historical temples where scholars undertook researches cannot be restored,” they add.

They say that Malana, known as the oldest form of democracy in the world, has lost the attraction for scholars due to the devastating fire that razed almost the entire village, including a centuries-old temple, in 2007.

Villagers say that successive governments forget the promises made during elections or at the time of natural disasters. They understand that fire stations cannot be provided in all villages. Therefore, sub-stations should be developed in major valleys.

Gaurav, a resident of Kullu, says that the government should formulate an action plan and hold awareness campaigns for villagers to deal with the issue as many of these villages are remote, hence inaccessible. Stacking of fodder and firewood, use of substandard electricity implements and increasing the sanctioned electricity load are various reasons for these mishaps, he adds.

Workshops and camps can be organised to make the residents aware of the causes and the precautions that need to be taken. Disaster management teams comprising locals should be set up in villages. The government should also encourage NGOs to join hands with the administration for such awareness campaigns and save the age-old architecture and beliefs, besides the cultural heritage of the Kullu valley, he adds.

Abhishek Rai, an environmentalist, says that lessons should be learnt from history and villagers should deviate from the conventional methods of stacking fodder and firewood. Water storage tanks should be built in villages that are inaccessible by road to control fires, he add.

The fire incidents in the district increase with the onset of the winter, as people use various mediums to keep themselves warm. Many villages are not connected by road and thus the devastation caused by fire incidents is more due to inaccessibility.