The Rajasthan government has launched a major drive to address public safety concerns, identifying a staggering 4,276 unsafe buildings across its urban areas. Authorities have announced that each structure will now undergo a crucial evaluation to determine its heritage significance, a process that will ultimately decide whether it is preserved or demolished.
Massive Survey Reveals Scale of the Problem
A senior official from the state's Urban Development and Housing (UDH) department confirmed the extensive survey. The initiative aims to tackle the looming threat posed by dilapidated structures in crowded cities. Already, the process has begun, with about 200 relatively new buildings deemed to have no heritage value being razed to the ground.
"For the rest, we have issued notices to the owners and plan to evaluate the heritage significance of these structures," the official stated. He made it clear that buildings lacking heritage value will face immediate demolition to eliminate risks to residents and passersby.
City-Wise Breakdown and a Heritage Dilemma
The survey results highlight which cities are most affected. Jodhpur leads the list with 322 unsafe buildings, followed by Bikaner with 150 and the state capital, Jaipur, with 122 identified structures.
The situation in Jaipur presents a unique challenge. A significant portion of the unsafe buildings lies within the Walled City, a declared UNESCO World Heritage site. This status intensifies the conflict between preserving historical architecture and ensuring modern-day safety standards. The official expressed the complexity of the situation, noting the immense scale of restoration required.
Searching for a Sustainable Solution
"What can we do? Neither the owners nor the government has the capacity to restore such a huge number of buildings," the UDH official explained. He emphasized that leaving the buildings in their current dangerous state is not an option, as they pose a direct threat to the safety of residents and locals. The path forward, he added, requires finding a pragmatic middle ground.
The government's plan signifies a careful, two-pronged approach. While public safety remains the non-negotiable priority, the heritage evaluation seeks to protect Rajasthan's rich architectural history. The coming months will be critical as teams assess the thousands of structures, deciding which can be saved and which must make way for safety.
