MODEL ANSWER

Historic buildings occupy prime real estate. Most of them are in the centre of cities where land prices are ridiculously high. As a result, sometimes the civic administration is under pressure to demolish these old or dilapidated buildings and construct shopping malls or housing complexes in their place. Sometimes greed and utter disregard for history also force civic authorities to demolish old buildings.

Old buildings lack modern amenities. Also they require a great deal of maintenance. Some historic buildings like palaces are owned by families. Many of them lack the financial resources to maintain these buildings. While some families convert palaces into luxury hotels, others choose to demolish them to build residences with modern amenities.

Historic buildings require more maintenance than modern buildings. Creating awareness about their significance is the first step towards their preservation. We should also be able to find modern uses for these structures. Impressive buildings have the potential to attract tourists. For example, India has numerous palaces and forts⊕ that generate considerable revenue from tourism. Since these buildings generate money, the government wants to preserve them. Buildings that lack such potential are often ignored. And if they are situated in important areas of the city, they are more likely to face the threat of demolition.

Creating awareness about their importance alone will not help. The government should also be able to convert them into useful structures. Palaces, for example, can be converted into hotels or museums.

To conclude, historic buildings require a great deal of maintenance and that is the main reason they are neglected. If they don’t generate revenue they become a financial liability in spite of their importance. The only way to prevent their destruction is to find newer ways to use them.