The MMR-HCS had, in 2005, taken up the revision of the heritage list that was first prepared in 1995. The conservation architects involved in drawing up the fresh listing state that at least a dozen iconic bungalows dotting Bandra-Khar, Hindu Colony, Parsi Colony and Shivaji Park in Dadar had been recommended for heritage status, but had to now be deleted by the heritage panel. The reason: Tall multi-storeys have replaced the bungalows in the two years that have passed.

“The heritage panel has deleted structures which have been either demolished or those where major changes have been carried out,” said Sharada Dwivedi, historian and committee member.

In fact, while the MMR-HCS has suggested a heritage precinct tag for both the Parsi Colony and the Shivaji Park area, the latter has lost out in the race because, as a member puts it, “the once beautifully designed locality has nothing left of its original charm.” However, the Shivaji Park maidan will still get a Grade I listing owing to its historical prominence.

Another significant deletion by the heritage panel is the Mantralaya building at Nariman Point that was recommended for a grade II B listing by the MMR-HCS. A series of random renovations over the years is the reason cited. Earlier too, the Mantralaya building had figured among the 633 heritage structures notified by the state government in 1995, only to then be included among the 100 structures removed from the list following demands by politicians.

The worse, however, is yet to come. Now that the list is almost final and is awaiting the approval of the civic chief, heavy lobbying is expected to begin from builders and owners wishing to get their structures deleted if . To avoid such a situation, heritage experts stress that the notification must be done at the earliest.

Heritage panel member Pankaj Joshi gives the example of Shimla where the moment the draft of a heritage list was released, builders and officials went into overdrive to get structures deleted.

“By the time the actual list was out, almost 90 per cent structures were deleted,” Joshi said.

The new list by MMR-HCS has recommended a total of 1,747 structures/ precincts for heritage listing.