George Town is one of the city’s most important neighbourhoods in several aspects. Commercially, it is considered a wholesale hub for a wide range of products, ranging from stainless steel to stationery. It is home to several schools which are more than a century-old. Several places of worship comprising temples, churches and mosques with historic pasts dot the area, while the many old, (and often, sadly crumbling) structures tell the tale of businesses and families that have seen better days. As a city grows, progress is almost inevitably skewed more in favour of the newer parts, with the older parts being left behind in terms of infrastructure and development. The story with respect to George Town is no different. While one can romanticize the glory of the area and its colourful character, both past and present, it is also essential to recognize the appalling conditions in terms of its civic infrastructure, congestion, quality of life, etc.
This magazine has been quite vocal time and again about the need for a comprehensive redevelopment of the entire neighbourhood. In fact, in 2009, it had even proposed a separate master plan for the area, keeping in mind its unique heritage and culture (MM, May 16-31, 2009). There have been sporadic bursts of activity, particularly with reference to decongesting the area and dealing with building violations. In 2006, the CMDA held talks with various stakeholders, such as merchant’s associations about relocation of the iron and steel markets and gunny bags traders. The iron and steel market was eventually shifted to Sathangadu near Manali in 2009. In 2014, the Madras High Court entrusted the task of looking into the various building violations in contravention of the Development Regulation Rules post July 1, 2007 to retired judge S Rajeswaran.
In recent times, the noise around redevelopment has grown louder, with the selection of George Town under the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) Scheme of the Central Government in 2019. The redevelopment plan, to be carried out by the CMDA, envisaged a complete overhaul of the area, including improvements to social infrastructure such as roads, open spaces, sewage disposal, etc. and also a study of its business and economic profile, which could also lead to the development of a financial and legal services hub. This magazine had written about the venture soon after it was announced (MM, Sep 1-15, 2019), calling any plans for the rejuvenation of the area without keeping in mind its heritage character as a dangerous one, for it would destroy the cultural fabric of the space.
In 2022, the CMDA held a series of discussions with several stakeholders in the area, such as NGOs, Residents Associations, street vendors, the Railways, and Metro Water for the proposed development of the area. According to a recent report in the newspapers, this plan has hit a roadblock, reportedly due to land acquisition hurdles.
While one cannot deny that the entire area has been crying out for attention for long, it is imperative that all the stakeholders are on the same page with respect to the way that the redevelopment is implemented. The cultural fabric of the place, owing to its uniqueness, cannot be compromised at any cost. The resistance reported from long-term residents and traders to the redevelopment seems to indicate that either they are not fully aware of its ramifications or that they see it as a threat to their day-to-day existence. Any plan likely to alienate the local community from its ambit would render it ineffective. It is crucial that outreach programmes are held, all fears dispelled and assurances made to get them on board, before implementation of the project. A successful redevelopment plan with heritage as its focus would be a good advertisement to project the city as a world-class one.