It's curtains for monumental neglect

By J.S. Ifthekhar

HYDERABAD, JULY 12. Is the chunk of stucco that came off Charminar recently a blessing in disguise? This's what it appears to be - in retrospect. The incident itself is unfortunate nay heart-rending for conservationists, but it has helped in arousing an otherwise somnolent administration. The monument is finally getting the attention it deserved.

The mishap set alarm bells ringing, literally. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, dashed off an SOS to the Centre. The Archaeological Survey of India swung into action and began fire-fighting operations, albeit belatedly. All this indirectly gave a fillip to the process of Charminar pedestrianisation. The authorities immediately decided to divert the traffic coming towards Charminar through a ring road. The matter could not brook delay especially with the space around the monument getting reduced following extension of the grill fence by the ASI.

In a way the hoary sentinel had to desperately call for its own safety. The piece of plaster that fell from the minaret is stated to be the same chunk that caved in two decades ago. The repair job was not good enough, a senior MCH official remarked. A fall- out is that the battered monument can breathe easy now. The re- routing of RTC buses and other heavy vehicles is expected to check its deterioration and a detailed notification on traffic diversion is expected in a day or two.

The authorities are examining two different alternative routes -- one proposal is to divert the heavy vehicles proceeding towards Charminar from Afzalgunj bus station via the State Central Library, Salarjung bridge, Dar-us-Shifa, Purani Haveli and Panch Mohalla to emerge on Charminar bus depot road while the other plan is to divert the traffic at the end of Nayapul via Dar-us- Shifa. The downward traffic would be re-routed through Himmatpura junction, Motigalli, Mehboob Chowk and Shad Cafe. In both directions, Charminar and Laad Bazar would be bypassed.

On the ring road from Dar-us-Shifa to Daira Mir Momin 348 properties are coming in the way. The MCH has demolished 200 of them. On the Himmatpura-Motigalli road, 13 of the 33 properties are flattened. The MCH has avoided the cumbersome process of land acquisition and adopted a `give and take' policy to hasten the road-widening exercise. To the MCH, land has come freely and to the affected parties benefits in the shape of additional FSI and change in the land use pattern.

After a visit of the ring road, Mr. G. Kishan Rao, Director, Tourism Department, told presspersons on Thursday that the beautification of Laad Bazar would be done at a cost of Rs. 6 crores. Fifty per cent of the cost would be borne by the MCH, 25 per cent by the Tourism Department and the rest by various departments. Tenders for the works would be issued shortly and the project completed in 18 months.

Beautification of Pathergatti would be taken up in the third phase at a cost of Rs. 22 crores. Plans are afoot to have a `night bazar' near Charminar for a month from October 13 in line with the celebrations of the World Tourism Day on September 27 at Khilwat palace. Prince Muffakham Jah Bahadur has reportedly given his consent to use the palace.

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