Decision 44 COM 7B.25

Historic City of Ahmadabad (India) (C 1551)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 41 COM 8B.17, adopted at its 41st session (Krakow, 2017),
3. Welcomes the information provided by the State Party concerning the progress made with the documentation of buildings in the city and the scheduled completion of the Conservation Plan (encompassing the provisions of the Local Area Plan and Visitor Management Plan) by December 2020, and requests the State Party to prioritize the completion of these key elements of the management system and to provide updated information concerning:
   1. The completion of the documentation of historic buildings and structures in the city, particularly the distinctive ‘pol’ housing, planned for July 2021,
   2. The completion of the Conservation Plan, incorporating the Local Area Plan and Visitor Management Plan, planned for December 2020,
   3. The completion of Heritage Impact Assessments (HIA) for all major new constructions in the western section of property and in the buffer zone,
   4. The continued efforts to address issues of traffic congestion, pollution and the neglected ‘pol’ buildings in poor condition;
4. Also welcomes the information provided by the State Party regarding the establishment of the Ahmadabad World Heritage City Trust, and also requests the State Party to continue its efforts to strengthen the capacities for urban heritage conservation at the municipal level;
5. Notes the changes to the regulations for Ahmadabad in the Common Gujarat Development Control Regulations and the establishment of the Core Walled City Zone, and further requests that an accurate map, realized in accordance with the specifications of the Operational Guidelines, be provided the World Heritage Centre along with the text of the regulations (in English);
6. Also notes that HIAs are required for all new developments and urges the State Party to ensure that development projects in the buffer zone are also subject to this requirement, and that information about any planned project that may have an impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the property is submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
7. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session.