Hyderabad: A fire at one of the shops at the Moazzam Jahi heritage monument on Thursday exposed official apathy and how vulnerable the archaeological heritage of the city is to fires.
The fire fighters had to use a proclainer to demolish the false ceiling of the shop in order to douse the fire, and heritage activists are alarmed about the same.
Fire broke out at the Royal Chhaliya store which sells cigarettes and other products. It was a small shop which had no fire fighting equipment. However, what worsened the fire fighting was the absence of ventilation.
“The fire was not a big one. However, the fire fighters couldn’t douse the fire even after hours as we couldn’t find an entry to go inside. The fire was raging as there was no ventilation in the shop. The ventilation was closed with concrete. We had no option but to use the proclainer to demolish the plaster-of-paris false ceiling,” said additional district fire officer Srinivas.
Four fire tenders were operating at the site. Dust and smoke filled themarket within no time. “Putting out the fire took hours. The heat would have caused some damage to the structure. If the temperature is too high it can crack the stone. We have to visit the site tomorrow to see what happened there,” said P. Anuradha Reddy, convener, INTACH-Hyderabad.
Even after the major fire at the High Court which gutted the beautiful wooden library and books, the authorities haven’t changed their approach towards heritage buildings, activists said.
“Anyone can build a concrete tower. It is heritage buildings which attracts tourists. They can’t be rebuilt once damaged. If fire fighting is hampered it means the city’s heritage is doomed,” Ms. Reddy said.
