KOLKATA (India CSR): In a landmark move for heritage conservation through corporate social responsibility (CSR), the NTPC Limited (NTPC) has committed Rs. 23 crore for the restoration of the 1883-built “Old Herbarium” at the Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden (AJC Bose Garden) in Shibpur, Howrah. This represents the largest ever CSR‐funded public restoration project in India, surpassing the earlier benchmark of Rs. 14 crore set by Citibank India.
Project Overview & Objectives
The heritage structure, originally modelled after the 1853 Herbarium building at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London, has suffered decades of damage including vegetation ingress, water seepage and loss of cast-iron elements.
Under a restoration plan led by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and design consultancy by Alleya and Associates, the project will:
- Repair and stabilise the structure – including cast-iron embellishments and double-height gallery spaces.
- Repurpose the building into a multifunctional public space including a visitor centre, interpretation gallery, conference facilities, souvenir shop and café.
- Form part of a broader “Roxburgh International Hub Project”, which also envisages restoration of adjacent heritage buildings like the Roxburgh House and Old Seed Store, along with creation of a sustainable outdoor pavilion and landscaped zone for large-group educational and leisure activities.
Work commenced earlier this month and is scheduled for completion by March 2029.
Significance & Wider Impact
- The ₹23 crore funding marks a new high for CSR‐driven heritage restoration in India.
- The AJC Bose Garden, spread across 273 acres and home to over 3,000 plant species as well as the oldest herbarium specimen (collected in 1696), is a living botanical heritage and a major public green space in the Kolkata region.
- The project is expected to boost public engagement with heritage science and ecology, increase tourism potential, and serve as a model for other CSR–heritage partnerships across India.
- According to BSI Director Kanak Das, the success of this building’s restoration may catalyse investment into restoring other historic structures within the Garden.
Challenges & Outlook
- The two-decade-old restoration plan—originally conceptualised in 2017 and approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2019—was delayed due to funding constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The heritage building has substantial structural issues: ingress of vegetation, water damage and loss of internal elements. Effective conservation will require detailed historic-building expertise and sensitive adaptive reuse.
- To deliver public value, the project will need strong visitor-management, clear interpretation strategy and integration with the rest of Garden-activities so that it becomes a living hub, not just a restored relic.
Verdict
With the landmark Rs. 23 crore CSR investment by NTPC, Kolkata’s AJC Bose Garden’s Old Herbarium restoration sets a new benchmark for heritage conservation in India. If executed well, it has the potential to create a compelling public-facing heritage destination, stimulate broader restoration activity and demonstrate how corporate social responsibility can meaningfully support historic-environment and ecological heritage.
(India CSR)
