Jaipur: Jaipur’s heritage has international recognition, conservation rules and a municipal administration tasked with protecting it. Yet historic havelis are being replaced by commercial complexes, public verandas are being occupied and residents fear that alterations beneath old buildings could put their lives at risk.
The city’s mayor Sunil Kothari acknowledges that the corporation has failed to stop encroachments and unauthorised construction above market verandas.
Kothari says around 33 per cent of the approximately 1,200 historic havelis that stood when Jaipur received World Heritage recognition have since been lost. Some were demolished for markets and commercial complexes while others collapsed after years of neglect. Given the state of affairs, it is important to know how much of the city, celebrated for its architecture, will survive the businesses now expanding within it.
In the second part of ETV Bharat’s ‘Marked Unsafe’ campaign, a ground report from Jaipur’s Walled City examines the pressure on its historic buildings, conflicting accounts of construction work and the gap between conservation rules and their enforcement. Jaipur’s historic city was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2019. Its recognition has not insulated it from the destruction of the buildings that give it its identity.
In Jaipur, conversion of residential havelis into clusters of shops and offices has made residents and conservation specialists worry that unchecked excavation and structural alterations can turn the loss of heritage into a threat to lives.
Conflicting Claims Behind A Haveli’s Facade
From the street, the old residential haveli known as ‘Pooja Ghar’ in Chaura Rasta appears much like its neighbours. Its lime-built walls remain part of the old neighbourhood’s architecture. Inside, however, construction work in shops numbered 318 to 320 has triggered a dispute over what has been changed and whether the building’s structure is safe.
Neighbour Om Prakash Agarwal says the premises previously comprised three small shops housing a clinic and a medical hall, with sturdy wooden doors dating to the princely era. He alleges that pillars and partition walls between the shops have been removed and that deep excavation has been undertaken for a basement.
Agarwal fears the consequences could extend beyond the premises. He says the work interferes with the foundation and structural framework of an old building in a closely built lane, potentially exposing neighbouring properties to danger. He attributes the alterations to the pursuit of higher commercial returns.
Mukesh, the engineer working at the site, disputes these allegations. He says all necessary building documents have been submitted to the municipal corporation and maintains that the space described as a newly excavated basement is actually an existing cellar.
Mukesh says, "The wooden doors had rotted and were replaced with iron shutters for safety. The three shops were already interconnected and that neither the original structure nor its strength has been compromised."
More Shops, Less Room For Rescue
Rajendra Gupta, president of the local traders’ association, says residential life has largely disappeared from many historic havelis as commercial activity has expanded. Buildings once distinguished by decorative work, carved wooden doors, projecting windows and traditional layouts now accommodate dozens of shops and offices.
Gupta says unauthorised basements and additional construction have made conditions in several buildings alarming. "Commercial expansion has also increased traffic and crowding on streets with little space for parking. During an emergency," he warns, "the congestion can make it extremely difficult for an ambulance or fire engine to get through." The danger therefore lies both within the buildings and on the approaches that rescuers would need to use.
Historian Devendra Bhagat points to the shaded verandas built in front of market shops for pedestrians. These covered passages were integral to the planning of the old city and formed part of its shared architectural and public space. Temporary walls, sheds and commercial occupation, he says, are closing them off, while additional floors have been built above some of them.
"Restaurants in Nehru Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar place tables and chairs in these public verandas to serve customers," he says. Local public representative Amar Gurjar also alleges that the Smart City administration itself has erected brick lattice walls along the verandas, altering the spaces it is expected to help preserve.
The 2022 heritage regulations prohibit obstructions in veranda corridors and encroachment or construction on their terraces. They also require prior permission for specified restoration and repair work. The complaints from Jaipur’s markets concern precisely the public spaces these provisions seek to protect.
Collapses And Evacuations Expose The Stakes
The consequences of building deterioration are already visible. Two people died when an old four-storey building collapsed in the Chhile Ka Kuan locality of the Subhash Chowk area. In Jagannath Shah Ka Rasta, in Chowkri Ramchandra Ji, a five-storey building tilted to one side, forcing the administration to evacuate it and close nearby routes. Around eight to 10 families had to leave their homes.
The administration subsequently demolished two severely dilapidated havelis at Maru Ji Ka Chowk and Nagauri Chowk in Ghee Walon Ka Rasta because of the danger they posed. These incidents underline the urgency of structural assessment and timely intervention. The reporting does not establish basement excavation as the cause of these particular collapses or evacuations.
Former IAS officer Damodar Sharma, who served twice as municipal corporation CEO, explains why excavation beneath old havelis requires particular caution. "Their foundations, shared walls and relationship with narrow adjoining lanes differ from those of modern reinforced concrete buildings. Digging beneath one property can affect the foundations of neighbouring structures," he warns.
Sharma says heritage rules prohibit new basements, with exceptional permission at a higher level available only for essential public works. For owners seeking additional commercial space, the risk is that the impact of excavation may extend well beyond the property where the work begins.
He also points to height restrictions intended to protect the Walled City’s architectural character. According to Sharma, the limits are ground plus three floors, or about 15 metres, in the main markets, and ground plus two floors, or about 12 metres, along internal, narrow streets. "Commercial pressure is encouraging violations and the conversion of old homes into larger business premises," he alleges.
The City’s Face Is Being Altered
Bhagat says the historic markets derive much of their identity from their facades, which include arches, projecting windows, lattice screens, wooden doors, railings and the traditional colour scheme. These features connect individual buildings into a recognisable streetscape. Altering them one property at a time can change the appearance of an entire market.
Chaman says repairs should preserve this architectural identity. Shop signs, hoardings, shades and advertisements must also comply with heritage requirements. The regulations prescribe controls on signage and facade materials and require damaged historic decorative features to be restored in keeping with their original form.
Pankaj Dharendra, director of the archaeology department, says the department follows the principle of minimum intervention - carrying out the work needed to preserve a building without attempting to give it an invented new appearance.
He says conservation work uses materials compatible with the original construction. In the department’s conservation practice, lime-built structures are repaired using traditional materials rather than cement and traditional finishes are retained instead of being replaced with synthetic paints. Historic mixtures involving lime, jaggery, fenugreek and guggul resin remain relevant to this work, he adds.
Dharendra cites John Marshall’s Conservation Manual as an important reference for conservation practice. The objective, he explains, is to preserve original structures, techniques and historic character for future generations, rather than make old buildings look newly constructed.
Rules On Paper, Questions In Court
The dispute over unauthorised construction has reached the Rajasthan High Court. According to the reporter’s account, the court has sought records from the Jaipur Development Authority and the municipal corporation concerning construction permissions issued in previous years and action taken against illegal work in heritage areas.
Parashar questions how extensive unauthorised construction can proceed when even repairs to heritage buildings require permission. “Rules on paper alone cannot save heritage,” he says. He advocates an effective Heritage Development Authority with the capacity to coordinate conservation and act firmly against violations.
The questions about enforcement also appear in UNESCO’s official record. In its 2025 decision, the World Heritage Committee expressed concern over reports of historic houses being demolished within the listed property and sought details of the losses and measures to prevent further destruction. It also raised concerns about the operational capacity of the Heritage Cell. India has been asked to submit an updated conservation report by December 1, 2026.
Mayor Acknowledges Failure, Promises Action
Kothari acknowledges that the municipal administration has been unable to effectively stop traders’ encroachments on market verandas and unauthorised residential construction above them. His admission places responsibility within the civic body as well as with those carrying out the work.
The mayor says the new board will bring traders, residents and other stakeholders together, beginning with awareness of the rules. Those who fail to remove encroachments voluntarily after being informed will face enforcement and punitive action, he says.
"No compromise with heritage will be tolerated," Kothari says. He describes preserving the city’s World Heritage recognition as a combined responsibility and says unauthorised alterations over the years have made that task more difficult.
His estimate of the loss is substantial - around a third of the approximately 1,200 historic havelis have disappeared through demolition or neglect. He says commerce is Jaipur’s lifeline, but economic activity must remain within the rules. The conservation provisions introduced in 2020 and 2022 were not fully implemented because of administrative laxity, he acknowledges, and addressing those shortcomings is now a priority.
Kothari says the administration must prepare its response and report for UNESCO by December. Protecting the Walled City and its heritage, he adds, is the new board’s first commitment.
For residents, the immediate test is whether complaints lead to inspections, whether permissions match the work on site and whether officials intervene before a building is lost or lives are endangered. Jaipur’s heritage status is already recognised around the world. Its protection must now be visible in the lanes where that heritage still stands.