SC orders mapping of heritage sites in Delhi

In his application, Suri said conservation efforts in Delhi had been “ad hoc and cherry-picking” rather than guided by a structured plan based on predefined parameters.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday initiated an exhaustive exercise to map the status of Delhi’s archaeological sites, directing multiple civic and governmental agencies to submit detailed conservation status of the Capital’s notified heritage structures.

Posting the matter for February 2, the court said it would require responses from the authorities by the next date of hearing.

The court directed urban local bodies – the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) – along with statutory authorities such as the Delhi government, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and private entity Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) to respond to an application moved by Delhi resident Rajeev Suri.

Suri had earlier approached the court seeking restoration and conservation of a 700-year-old Lodi-era monument, the Gumti of Shaikh Ali, located in Defence Colony. Following court intervention, the structure was cleared of unauthorised occupation by the Defence Colony RWA and placed under the care of the Delhi government’s archaeology department, which then notified it as a protected monument.

In the same matter, Suri filed an application urging the court to expand the scope of proceedings to cover all heritage structures in the city whose upkeep has suffered due to neglect or lack of funds. He sought directions for a time-bound survey detailing the present status of all listed heritage properties under the jurisdiction of various authorities, along with a comprehensive conservation plan.

A bench of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and N Kotiswar Singh agreed to examine the issue and issued notice to all statutory authorities responsible for heritage structures.

“We deem it appropriate to include all statutory authorities… Let notice be issued to the said entities with a copy of this application,” the bench said.

Posting the matter for February 2, the court said it would require responses from the authorities by the next date of hearing. In the interim, it allowed any conservation or restoration work already underway on heritage structures to continue.

Suri relied on a 2021 report prepared by the INTACH Delhi Chapter, which identified around 1,650 notified heritage structures in the city. The study was commissioned by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs as part of preparations for the Delhi Master Plan 2041.

The application was presented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, assisting the court as amicus curiae, along with senior advocate Shikhil Suri. Sankaranarayanan said the plea sought a uniform and systematic plan to preserve similar structures across Delhi now that the Gumti of Shaikh Ali had been restored.

In his application, Suri said conservation efforts in Delhi had been “ad hoc and cherry-picking” rather than guided by a structured plan based on predefined parameters. As a result, he argued, many monuments continue to languish without meaningful protection, with their existence acknowledged only through notified lists maintained by NDMC, MCD and the Delhi government.

“Merely notifying them is no guarantee that they will remain safe from land mafia, given the rampant growth of the city and the hunger for land,” the application stated, calling for conservation based on scientific methods and modern techniques.

Suri further pointed out that the heritage lists maintained by authorities were over a decade old and that agencies lacked current information on the condition of many structures.

The INTACH report spans seven volumes, with three volumes dedicated to the Walled City, including Jama Masjid, Red Fort and structures near Begum Bagh, Daryaganj, Kashmere Gate and Mori Gate. Another volume covers the outer Walled City areas such as Sadar Bazar, Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate. A separate volume focuses on Lutyens’ Delhi, including Nizamuddin, India Gate, Jantar Mantar, Humayun’s Tomb and Lodhi Gardens. The remaining volumes document heritage sites in south Delhi, including Tughlaqabad, Sultan Garhi, Lado Sarai, Sultanpur and Mehrauli.

The report categorises monuments across time periods ranging from pre-Mughal to late Colonial. It includes only notified heritage properties and excludes unprotected structures.

According to the list, 174 monuments fall under ASI, 19 under the Delhi government’s archaeology department, 141 under NDMC and 1,318 under MCD.