Jaipur: The Local Self Govt (LSG) Department and Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) recently reinstated a heritage cell for conservation of the 300-year-old Walled City after concerns were raised by UNESCO over the functioning and capacity of the earlier cell.A senior LSG department official said the new heritage cell now comprises 14 members, including a GIS-mapping expert, and has been structured in line with UNESCO recommendations. The earlier heritage cell, formed after the Walled City received World Heritage status in 2019, did not include a GIS expert. “We have got a town planner from Ajmer who is leading the heritage cell. In addition, there are 13 more members in the cell as recommended by UNESCO,” the official said. Officials said the present cell has more members and wider expertise compared to the previous one. It includes an additional chief town planner, divisional commissioners, executive engineers and assistant town planners from the three JMC zones — Hawa Mahal, Kishanpole and Adarsh Nagar — along with one urban planner, two conservation architects and a GIS expert. JMC had earlier formed a five-member heritage cell in 2020, and its officials received training from UNESCO during a workshop. However, all members were removed from their positions in April 2022, leaving a gap in expertise needed for heritage conservation. In its State of Conservation report published in Oct 2025, UNESCO criticised the functioning of the cell, stating, “The operational capacity of the Heritage Cell remains a concern… with no permanent personnel appointed.” Officials said the reconstituted cell has begun functioning and will organise a workshop on March 23 to sensitise residents and traders about preserving the Walled City’s heritage.
