Hyderabad: The relocation of the Chest Hospital to make way for the new TS Secretariat and turning the present centre of administration into skyscrapers has annoyed many heritage enthusiasts. They were expecting the new government to bring back the past glory of the erstwhile Hyderabad state of the Nizams. Heritage lovers point out to the Act, which specifies that anything of historical importance will have to be protected and passed on to the next generations. They add that it is the duty of the government to uphold the Act.
Relocating the Chest Hospital from Erragadda to 70 km away is also raising more questions, as is handing over the present Secretariat land and properties to third parties under the pretext of Vastu. Hyderabad’s original name was Chichulam.
When the Golconda Fort and its surroundings were beset by plague, the royal family had quarantined themselves by moving to Chichulam. It was during this period, in a bid to beat the heat, dust and wind, they had laid many gardens and created lakes. When the Italian traveller Tavernier visited the city, he was impressed by the plethora of gardens in the area he called Bhagnagar.
The Qutub Shahis built many edifices around this area including the Charminar. The Asaf Jahis built many secular edifices, most of which are recognised as heritage buildings.
Dr D. Bhaskar Rao, chief curator Nizam Museum
The state government should learn from the Central government, in the way the latter is maintaining the Hyderabad House that was built by the Nizam. Not only is Hyderabad House very well-maintained, it is also being utilised as a venue for VVIP programmes. The Chest Hospital too has its own status. The structure should not be disturbed. Shifting a hospital that has been serving lakhs of people 70 km from the city will not serve a purpose.
Dr Captain Lingala Pandu Ranga Reddy, Historian
The TS CM is thinking of shifting the Secretariat to Erragadda. This will bring him bad luck. Hussain Shah Wali, a son-in-law of Ibrahim Qutub Shah, had built a dam across the Kalvaleru, a tributary of the Musi, to quench the thirst of many people. After the formation of AP, many constructions came up within the tank bed. Little did the officials realise that whosoever tinkered with the tank bed or the original construction lost power. Changing the Secretariat would cause many difficulties. If the CM builds a new Secretariat at Erragadda, after some years, another party will come to power and convert it.
Dr Chiranjeevi Kolluri, Convener, Hyderabad Deccan Democratic & Secular Alliance
The formation of the Telangana state was a result of 45 years of struggle. But things are not working out the way they ought to. The first Independence Day in the new state was celebrated at the Golconda Fort. People then felt that the new CM understood the significance of Telangana heritage. However, the CM is now following in the footsteps of his predecessors, by selling Telangana properties to meet the ‘Budget’ requirement.
M. Veda Kumar, Forum for Better Hyderabad
Stakeholders in the undivided state of AP had approached the courts whenever the previous governments had planned to demolish heritage structures. However, now with Telangana being a reality, the government should itself come forward to protect monuments. That is the tehzeeb of true Hyderabadis. I am keen on conserving the G Block of the Secretariat, which was the Saifabad Palace, build in 1887 as the residence of the 6th Nizam, Mahbub Ali Pasha. The previous government had decided to demolish it. But in 2004, many people approached the HC and got a stay. The Heritage Regulation Act prohibits demolishing of listed protected buildings and the G block has historical importance. Similarly, the Chest Hospital is a landmark. Shifting the Secretariat is a policy decision; however, whenever such decisions are made, the state should involve stakeholders
Sajjad Shahid, secretary, Centre for Deccan Studies
Even after attaining statehood, the people of Telangana are being deprived of culture and heritage. This is shameful. One would presume that after the people of Telangana came to power, they would save and conserve little of what the city was left with. Unfortunately, we find that the trend of destruction not only continues, but is increasing in pace.
Architecturally, all the buildings that have survived are the only heritage of the city. Now, the Secretariat is being converted into skyscrapers. Is it necessary to move an established Secretariat? The CM is free to believe in Vaastu, but not at the cost of heritage.
P. Anuradha Reddy , Convener- INTACH
The government Chest Hospital in Erragadda belongs to Nizamuddin Fakhrul Mulk, one of the nobles of Hyderabad; Erramanzil belonged to the same family. Their tombs, Fakhrul Mulk, still exists at SR Nagar. Hyderabad was recognised by the National Geo Travelers Magazine as the 2nd best destination for 2015. Certainly, the visitor will come to see our heritage and not inefficiently built flyovers and concrete monsters. Now if the city’s heritage is demolished, what will it have to offer?
Mohd Safiullah, Heritage enthusiast
For a city like Hyderabad, which has a history of 426 years and which has been ruled by two major dynasties, being left with just 166 heritage structures today feels like the city has been robbed. Heritage enthusiasts were happy when the Telangana government announced that Mahbub Ali Khan’s Palace will be restored with '10 crore. People of Telangana would be happier if the CM keeps his promise of restoring the King Koti Palace, Mahbub Ali Khan’s Palace and the Chest Hospital.
