Move to raze SR Block leaves experts in shock

The Medical Education department's decision to demolish a block in Vani Vilas hospital has left conservation architects, structural engineers and the donor's family in deep shock.

A day after DH carried a report on the department's move to demolish the Sajjan Rao Block adjoining Vani Vilas, members of the philanthropist's family expressed their anguish and asked the authorities not to act in haste.

The department said drilling of the underground tunnel for the metro rail has damaged the building and asked for rs 48 crore as compensation to raze and rebuild the SR Block, besides repairing four other edifices in the hospital premises.

Ajay Kadam, Sajjan Rao's great grandson and administrator of the Subramanyaswamy Temple Trust, said the decision to break down the building has deeply upset the family.

Rao donated Rs 50,000 for the construction of the building in the early 1930s to set up a specialized maternity ward.

"Young women were dying at childbirth due to inadequate facilities, which prompted Rao to donate the money. (But) it is unfortunate that today it faces the threat of demolition," Kadam regretted.

A regular visitor to the hospital, Kadam said the building's structural damage was noticed only after Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) began the construction of the metro rail line. He also added that the building was neglected for several years.

"No adequate planning on the part of BMRCL, which blames the age of the structure instead of taking onus,"Kadam said.

"How can a sturdy 80-year-old building suddenly develop deep cracks if not for the excavation (to lay the rail line)? The building is strong despite its age."

The BMRCL acted with care while drilling the tunnel before the Vidhana Soudha. The corporation even hauled away the Ambedkar statue to ensure its safety. "But there are so many heritage buildings in the area and the government has not acted with caution," Kadam said.

He said the government should consult structural experts before taking further action. "Modern technology is available to restore the building; it can be saved. I will write to the Medical Education Minister requesting him to revisit the matter," he said.

Intach's Conservation Architect Pankaj Modi said the organisation would write to the government to restore the building.

"It's an iconic building. Ironically it is listed and mapped in the revised master plan 2031 as a heritage building. Shouldn't the government restore and preserve our heritage instead of taking such a drastic step? It would be an illogical move to demolish the structure," he said.

Conservation architect Sathya Prakash Varanashi pointed out that load bearing wall structures could be easily restored, even if the building's foundation was weak.

"A majority of the heritage structures in the country are load bearing wall structures," Varanashi said. "There are examples of many of them being restored effectively."

He faulted the government for not taking opinions of the subject experts and instead relying on the in-house conventional civil engineers.

The government should set up a committee of conservation architects, restoration contractors and civil engineers worked on restoring historic structures to give the matter a fair assessment, Varanashi urged.

Box

* Buildings that sustained damages following Metro works are-- SR Block, Children's Hospital, Pathology Block, Pathology Seminar Block, and the ENT Block.

* The Karnataka Health Systems Reforms Development Project (KHSRDP), which assessed the buildings, has estimated that Rs 9.30 cr is required to demolish and restore SR Block

* It has also estimated that Rs 10.15 crore is required to restore/repair the Children's Hospital, Rs 15.50 crore for the Pathology block; Rs 1.30 crore for Pathology seminar block; Rs 3.75 crore for the ENT Block; and Rs 8 crore for restoring UGD and water supply lines.