A view of Sunehri Bagh Masjid near Udyog Bhawan in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
In the heart of Delhi lies the Sunehri Bagh Mosque. Built on a roundabout, the 150-year-old mosque is awaiting its fate which lies in the hands of Delhi’s Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC). The governing body is responsible for overlooking the protection of heritage buildings, heritage precincts and natural feature areas in the national capital.
The committee is headed by the Additional Secretary or Special Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India and comprises of a total 14 members, both official and non-official with a three-year term.
Formed in 2004, under the directions of the Supreme Court, by incorporating a new clause in the then Delhi Building Bye-Laws 1983 (now Unified Building Bye-Laws for Delhi-2016) plays a key role in the conservation of Delhi historic sites.
The last time, the committee was reconstituted was in 2020. On December 31, the New Delhi Municipal Council in front of the high court explained that the Sunehri Bagh Mosque will not be brought down anytime soon, and it needs the nod of the HCC which is yet to be constituted as previous members terms have expired.
MoHUA did not respond to queries regarding when the HCC will be reconstituted. NDMC officials said until the committee doesn’t provide its approval, no action will be taken against the mosque in court during the hearing of a plea filed by the mosque’s imam against the proposed demolition.
The HCC works with the government, civic bodies, local bodies, conservation authorities and other stakeholders to ensure the proper protection of heritage sites in Delhi such as the Delhi Urban Heritage Foundation, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Department of Archaeology GNCTD, Central Public Works Department, INTACH Delhi Chapter, Aga Khan Trust, and Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC).
AGK Menon, architect, urban planner and conservation consultant who has also served the HCC as a conservation architect explained the HCC functions as a watchdog for protecting the various heritage buildings in Delhi. If any authority wants to modify, demolish or upgrade a heritage building in the capital, they must take the approval of the HCC.
If a proposal reaches the HCC regarding a heritage building, the HCC will consider opinions from various sectors including town planners, historians, and civic body officials and then make a call on whether to take the proposal forward.
In the case of Sunehri Bagh, the HCC will bring in traffic reports of the area to understand if the mosque causes traffic. NDMC was notified by the Delhi Traffic Police which stated that the mosque invites traffic snarls in the already traffic-prone area, especially on Tuesdays and Fridays. However, the imam of the mosque said otherwise, he said the mosque is not responsible for traffic. The structure has been notified as a Grade-III heritage building through a Delhi Government notice in 2009.