Nagpur: A portion of the veranda of the 135-year-old Old High Court building, a protected heritage monument, collapsed on Monday afternoon after wooden scaffolding gave way. The incident occurred even as the historic structure is undergoing restoration worth Rs16.92 crore. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The state Public Works Department (PWD), which is executing the project, clarified that no restoration work was being carried out on the affected portion when the incident occurred.Soon after the collapse, senior PWD officials, including Prashant Shankarpure and Prashant Pustode, rushed to the site to assess the damage and examine the circumstances leading to the incident.According to a senior PWD official, the Old High Court building, constructed by the British in the early 1890s, has deteriorated considerably over the years, necessitating extensive restoration to preserve its heritage character.“The wooden scaffolding erected earlier by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) suddenly gave way, resulting in the collapse of a portion of the veranda. There were no warning signs before the incident. Importantly, no restoration work was underway at the affected location,” the official said.The official explained that ASI was initially expected to undertake the restoration, but the responsibility was subsequently entrusted to PWD. The department had originally prepared an estimate of Rs32 crore, covering restoration and several other works at the site.However, since the building is a protected monument, approval from ASI was mandatory before undertaking any intervention. Following scrutiny, the project scope was restricted to restoration work, bringing down the estimated cost to Rs16.92 crore. The revised proposal subsequently received approval from ASI headquarters in New Delhi.The restoration work commenced on Sept 22 this year, with a six-month completion deadline. However, Monday’s collapse has raised fresh concerns over the structural condition of the historic building and the feasibility of meeting the stipulated timeline.Sources said the incident would necessitate a fresh structural assessment, including detailed inspections and sampling, to identify weaknesses in the ageing structure. Depending on the findings, additional restoration measures may be required, potentially expanding the project’s scope and delaying completion.Significantly, the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court is already hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the restoration and preservation of the heritage building.This is not the first structural failure reported at the historic premises. During the Covid-19 period, a porch of the building had collapsed, following which ASI undertook restoration of the damaged portion. Monday’s incident has once again highlighted the challenges involved in preserving the ageing monument.
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