The Rajasthan High Court has warned that Jaipur’s historic Walled City could forfeit its UNESCO World Heritage Site status if effective remedial measures are not taken before December 2026. Justice Pramil Kumar Mathur initiated suo motu proceedings after a newspaper report flagged illegal constructions and encroachments in the Pink City’s core and buffer zones, issuing notices to ten state and local authorities.
Two-week survey ordered for unauthorised buildings
The court directed the Jaipur Development Authority and the city’s municipal corporations to survey unauthorised and unregulated constructions damaging the Walled City and submit a report within two weeks. It also sought details on whether heritage impact assessments were done before permissions near precincts, the extent of illegal building over five years, and action taken through demolition, sealing, prosecution or penalties. Jaipur received UNESCO recognition in 2019.
Civic groups have long complained that commercial pressure in the bazaars around Hawa Mahal and Johari Bazaar outpaces enforcement. Losing the tag would hit tourism, local livelihoods and the state’s global brand in a single stroke.
What the state must show by December
Officials will have to demonstrate not only surveys but visible removals and a credible buffer-zone plan. The court’s December deadline turns heritage enforcement into a political as well as administrative test for Jaipur’s governing agencies. Reporting: The Indian Express.
Tourism stakes for Jaipur
UNESCO branding underpins hotel occupancy and craft markets across the old city; a formal warning from the High Court raises the political cost of further delay for every department named in the notices. Residents and heritage activists will watch whether the two-week survey produces sealed properties or merely another file of photographs without demolitions.
Today’s News 1 Oct 2026 · 21 stories
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6Jaipur Walled City may lose UNESCO tag without action by December: HCOct 1, 2026 · Reading now
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