There is much more to conservation than funds

The ‘Adopt a Heritage’ plan is a promising one, but there are some valid concerns too

The Centre’s ‘Adopt an Heritage’ scheme, an initiative that seeks to develop India’s cultural and natural heritage sites, has run into a storm, the trigger being the announcement that the Dalmia Bharat Group has been given the responsibility to upgrade facilities at the Red Fort, the iconic 17th-century monument. Under the scheme, 100 other sites have been put up for corporate adoption. When it comes to historical and natural heritage, India has plenty. However, this embarrassment of riches does not translate into revenue when compared to the top destinations such as France, Italy or the US.

While there are many reasons for the country not being able to do so, one of main issues is that even basic facilities such as toilets, cafeterias or cloakrooms are not available in many of the sites, leave alone facilities such as audio and visual guides or merchandising that can attract tourists, and also allow them to engage better with what’s on display. For example, at the Natural History Museum in London, one can read further about an exhibit by connecting one’s cellphone’s Bluetooth to the museum’s information network. At a time when the attention span of people is decreasing and there is a wealth of entertainment options, it is critical for historical and natural sites and museums to provide basic facilities and do something extra to entice tourists. Such add-ons are not possible without funds.

In such a scenario, it’s not a bad idea to get corporate funding and develop not just the star monuments but also the lesserknown ones. But most of these firms, which are participating in the ‘Adopt A Heritage’ scheme, don’t have the in-house expertise to work in heritage properties. So it is essential for the ministry to keep a strict vigil on the work so that the donor firm does not put up haphazard advertisement boards or construct anything that is not in consonance with the larger theme/architecture of the monument. Such damage could be nearly irreversible.