Illegal buildings, encroachments threaten Jaipur's Unesco tag, High Court warns

The Rajasthan High Court noted that the UN body had raised concerns in both 2023 and 2025 over the conservation of Jaipur's iconic Walled City, including reports of historic houses being demolished and shortcomings in enforcement.Jaipur’s Walled City was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 2019. (Reuters Photo)Flagging concerns over illegal construction, encroachments and unauthorised alterations, the Rajasthan High Court has warned that Jaipur’s iconic Walled City could risk losing its Unesco World Heritage status unless urgent corrective measures are taken before December.Justice Pramil Kumar Mathur passed the order on September 26 after taking note of a newspaper report on the preservation of Jaipur’s heritage, along with Unesco material on the conservation of the site."Heritage, once lost, cannot be recreated," the court observed, stressing the need for "stringent, time-bound, and enforceable directions" to prevent irreversible damage.Jaipur’s Walled City was added to the Unesco World Heritage List in 2019. The High Court noted that the UN body had raised concerns in both 2023 and 2025 over the conservation of the site, including reports of historic houses being demolished and shortcomings in enforcement.The court said the situation could affect the architectural character that led to Jaipur receiving the heritage designation. It also flagged weak enforcement, delays in heritage management plans and inadequate coordination among authorities.The court has now directed the Jaipur Development Authority and municipal corporations to survey unauthorised and unregulated construction allegedly affecting the Walled City and submit a report within two weeks.Authorities have also been asked to explain the heritage protection framework, action taken against violations, zoning and height restrictions, buffer-zone safeguards and whether heritage assessments were carried out before construction permissions were granted.The court has sought an immediate and long-term action plan and asked authorities to place it on record before Unesco's final report is submitted.- Ends