The Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) heritage gully in Mumbai, which is an open-air museum featuring rare relics like India’s oldest electric and steam locomotives and parts of the original railway infrastructure, has been carelessly dismantled and relics relocated to Lonavala to make way for the CSMT's redevelopment into a ‘world-class' terminal.

The priceless artefacts, once showcased at the site, have now been transported to Lonavala, where they were reportedly damaged during transit and are currently lying abandoned on a muddy plot earmarked for a future museum, according to a report in this newspaper. 

We need to plan our preservation at the time when new works or redevelopment are beginning. This should be factored in with plans for the redevelopment of an existing facility or site. Experts need to be called in to relocate existing heritage or history in the best possible way.