The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is waiting for the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) from UNESCO to carry out restoration work at the Gayabari and Sonada railway stations under the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR).

Both the stations were burnt down and damaged, along with the DHR headquarters– Elysia Building in Kurseong–during the violent movement in the Hills for a separate state of Gorkhaland last year.

“Among other things, the CCMP will guide us on the restoration work of Gayabari and Sonada stations, while maintaining the heritage value of the DHR. The plan will be followed for the conservation and management of the world heritage site,” ADRM, New Jalpaiguri, Parha Pratim Roy, said.

Local people, meanwhile, said they want the restoration work to be carried out as soon as possible. They feel it is painful to watch the charred station every day for more than a year. “DHR is a world heritage site under UNESCO. It is important that heritage properties are conserved. There are mere remains at the Gayabari station following the rage more than a year ago. We fail to understand why the repair and restoration work has not begun and when it will begin,” said a local, Dinesh Tamang.

The DHR and the UNESCO have signed an agreement to prepare a CCMP for world heritage railways. The railways and UNESCO are presently working on the CCMP. The CCMP is mandatory for all UNESCO world heritage properties.

The two-yearlong project beginning 2016 involves survey, documentation, mapping, conservation strategy and dialogue, and will take into consideration institutional management, finances, legal and technical aspects and a guideline on conservation and sustainable development of the Toy Train, according to sources.

The DHR was accorded the UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999. Senior railway officials said that until the CCMP is ready, there cannot be changes in the structure or they cannot carry out any beautification work at the world heritage site. “Its (CCMP) objective is to provide a guideline for the management of the world heritage site,” an official said.

On 8 July, Gorkhaland supporters had set fire to Sonada station, while the Gayabari station was torched on 13 July. The local people of Gayabari also want the station should to be restored as soon as possible.

Saroj Gupta, who has been running a stationary shop for the past several years just opposite the station, said she cannot even imagine how the station has been left neglected for more than a year now. “Many foreign tourists used to talk to locals after getting down from the train here, while they took pictures against the backdrop of the heritage station. Some tourists still take pictures, but of the remains of the station. It really pains me. I want the restoration work to start immediately, so that the station gets back its old charm and glory,” Mrs Gupta said.

Sources said the CCMP is expected to be completed by the end of this year. “The CCMP is underway and we are expecting to get the plan within a few months. The restoration work will begin as soon as we get hold of the plan,” Mr Roy said.