BACKGROUND. schematic map showing the european settlements around the hooghly

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Priscilla Smith
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2 BACKGROUND schematic map showing the european settlements around the hooghly

3 The Hooghly River has been witness to the changing fortunes of the country; it was here that the seeds of industrialisation were sown in India, where first Jute mills were built. The banks of the Hooghly became the home to the various European trading powers who came to Mughal India in the 16th Century, records indicate that during the 17th- 19th Century this stretch of the river housed the trading posts of the British, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish and for some time even the Germans. The melting pot of several cultures, it is here that the beginnings of contemporary Indian culture as we know it can be traced back to. This unique cultural landscape now falls within the purview of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, while the eastern bank is the city of Kolkata, the western bank is the city of Howrah, and stretches upstream towards the northern side to include the erstwhile trading posts and settlements of Seremapore (Danish), Chandernagore (French), Chinsurah (Dutch), Bandel (Portuguese). With the reduction in the port activity, decline in the jute industry as well as change in political dynamics, the riverfront was further neglected. The once grand warehouses belonging to the Port Trust, Jute Mills & the Railways are now almost derelict, the vernacular structures, temples and ghats in dire need of restoration, while thegrand river facing houses have been incrementally altered and extended sometimes beyond recognition.the city has turned its back towards the river,littered with garbage and polluted,unauthorised developments and shanties have sprung up along the edges of the Hooghly.Yet there is a great opportunity to demonstrate how integrated conservation approach can be an interface between heritage conservation and urban planning for the revival of the area and become a pilot for future development of the area. The entire length of the riverfront is roughly 20kms within the metropolitan area, and the area has multiple stakeholders, the tourism potential of this area has already been recognised by the West Bengal State Government and there has been considerable interest in developing the area as a tourist circuit.the 10kms of riverfront within the KolkataCity has beenenvisaged to be developed as a public space, a larger masterplan has been prepared by RITES as part of an MoU between Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kolkata Port Trust & Ministry of Railways, which envisages the development of the entire waterfront under the PPP model, development of public spaces, nature retreats etc. The need of the hour is to develop an integrated development plan with a singular vision that incorporates the needs of urban development, creation of housing and public spaces, creative reuse of the large tracts of the Industrial lands within the core of the historic city belonging to the Port Trust, Railways and Jute Board as well as tourism, environmental improvement and community development. There are several success stories how derelict waterfronts have been transformed into the most active parts of the city by creative planning.

4 OBJECTIVE The workshop intends to bring the government authorities, urban planners, heritage experts and social workers to: 1. Take stock of the existing/ planned work in Hooghly Riverfront and understand key socio-economic issues; 2.Examine the successful international case studies of waterfront / port revitalization 3. Review heritage asset of Hooghly Riverfront and explore possibility of developing heritage-based revitalization expected output Constitution of amulti-disciplinary / inter-departmental think-tank / working group on heritage-based urban regeneration of Hooghly Riverfront towards the development of common vision and action plan The workshop will bring together heritage experts and the Government departments responsible for the development and management of Hooghly Riverfront on the same table to examine the viability of heritage-integrated planning of the area through a series of three panel discussions: TECHNICAL SESSION 1 will ask the heritage experts to identify the core heritage value of the areas and accordingly select those areas/building that best reflect such value that needs to be protected, but also those areas and heritage elements that can be left for development, noting that not all the heritage can be protected in its entirety. TECHNICAL SESSION 2 will bring together the representatives of the Govt. departments responsible for the Hooghly riverfront management and request them to deliberate on the following three questions: what is the development agenda of your department; why and how a heritage preservation might be a bottleneck for your department and where a compromise can be made. TECHNCIAL SESSION 3 will hear the case studies within India and abroad of successful heritage integrated urban development for future inspiration for Hooghly Riverfront.

5 TENTATIVE PROGRAMME Timing PROGRAMME DAY 01 30th September :30-10:00 Opening 10:00-10:30 Tea 10:30-13:00 Public Awareness Raising Seminar: Heritage of Hooghly River Front 13:00-14:00 Lunch 14:00-17:00 TECHNICAL SESSION 1 Understanding the heritage value of Hooghly Riverfront The speakers/panellist should provide their view in a succinct manner on the following points for discussion: -What is the Outstanding Universal Value of the heritage of Hooghly Riverfront -What areas / building best reflect that value -Which area should be the protected heritage zone -What type of regulations is required. DAY 02 1st October :00-10:30 Tea Break 10:30-13:00 TECHNICAL SESSION 2 13:00-14:00 Lunch Understanding the socio-economic needs and challenges of the area. The speakers/panellist should provide their view in a succinct manner on the following points for discussion: -Development need / plan of the respective Govt. Departments in the Hooghly Riverfront; -Why a heritage protection may be a concern -A possible area of collaboration with heritage sector 14:00-16:00 TECHNICAL SESSION 3 Can heritage boost the revitalization of the Hooghly Riverfront? The speakers/panellist should provide their view in a succinct manner on the following points for discussion: -Concrete case studies on culture/heritage based development in Hooghly Riverfront that lead to employment & income generation and livelihood improvement -Case studies outside that may be applied to Hooghly River Front -What can be immediately started in Hooghly Riverfront? 16:30-17:00 Conclusion and Vote of Thanks

6 ORGANISED BY: Government of West Bengal Department of Information and Cultural Affairs Department of Urban Development SUPPORTED BY: IN ASSOCIATION WITH: Institut de Chandernagor INDO-BRITISH SCHOLARS ASSOCIATION

Workshop on the Management of Historic Urban Landscapes of the XXth century, December 2007 Chandigarh, India

Workshop on the Management of Historic Urban Landscapes of the XXth century, 18-21 December 2007 Chandigarh, India INTRODUCTION The participants of the International Workshop on the Management of Historic