The only consolation is that the chairperson of the Heritage Committee, Bijal Patel has finally taken cognisance of the grave matter and on Saturday ordered the consultant to look into the matter.
Heritage conservation does not seem to be a hot subject in Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) priority list. Four days after theft of six figurines from the historical Chabutara under the Ellisbridge near Gujari Bazaar had been reported, the civic body is still clueless about the larceny. The only consolation is that the chairperson of the Heritage Committee, Bijal Patel has finally taken cognisance of the grave matter and on Saturday ordered the consultant to look into the matter. She wrote a letter to the heritage consultant of AMC, Debashish Nayak asking him to submit details of the present status of the Chabutara.
Patel said she came to know about the incident through reports published in newspapers. However, she also accepted that she is still unaware about the old and present status of the Chabutara and existence of any figurines on it. "I have to see if there were any figurines there in the past. I have asked our consultant to submit a report regarding it," said Bijal Patel.
After receiving the official letter from the chairperson, consultant Nayak has decided to take a look into the matter. However, he is yet to visit the site to gauge the damage done to the Chabutara. "I have not visited the Chabutara yet. I have submitted the clippings of DNA for her knowledge. Rest will be decided by the higher authorities," elaborated Nayak.
Reactions from both the authorities - the chairperson and the consultant - goes to show the seriousness of the civic body in protecting the city valuable heritage which is slowly disappearing, thanks to the apathetic attitude. According to the residents of Ramwadi area located surrounding the Chabutara; no one ever informed them about the importance of the heritage structure. "If the authorities had told us about the importance of this monument, we could have done something to protect it," said Jag Ram, who lives near the Shiv temple.
The residents however, claimed that one figurine, out of the original six, is still lying there unattended inside the Chabutara. "If it is that important, then why don't they come here at least once and take it with them?" asked another resident of Ramwadi, on condition of anonymity.
According to Nayak, the matter is being looked into as any action regarding this issue will be subject to the final orders from the higher authorities. One can only hope that the city does not lose its precious heritage in this labyrinthine 'process'.
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