Neglect Cripples Historic Puranapul
The bridge, once restored with care, is now deteriorating amid civic officials’ apathy and a complete lack of maintenance
Hyderabad: Once a symbol of Hyderabad’s architectural and cultural legacy, the historic Puranapul bridge — which withstood even the devastating Musi River flood of 1908 — now stands abandoned and crumbling due to years of neglect.
Granite railings lie damaged, thick vegetation grows unchecked on the structure and garbage piles up beneath. The bridge, once restored with care, is now deteriorating amid civic officials’ apathy and a complete lack of maintenance.
“Vegetation has taken over both sides of the bridge, causing cracks and uprooting the granite railings,” said Mohammed Habeebuddin, a heritage activist.
Adding to its structural distress, encroachments by street vendors — especially fruit sellers — have become a common sight. Some use hand carts and temporary stalls, while others have installed semi-permanent setups, putting further pressure on the aging bridge and disrupting daily traffic.
Encroachments were earlier cleared when the bridge was restored and reopened for traffic in 2002. But the vendors returned within months. “Soon after the reopening, the encroachments came back. Since then, there’s been no maintenance. Puranapul should be repaired and reopened for one-way traffic. Budgets have been sanctioned multiple times, but no work has been done,” said Habeebuddin.
Originally constructed during the Qutb Shahi period to link Golconda with Hyderabad, the bridge — then called Ibrahim Bridge — is now known as Puranapul.
“It’s also called Pyarana Pul, or Lovers’ Bridge,” said Samad Warsi, a local resident. “In 2002, a public function was held after its restoration, where couples from the two communities participated. It’s an engineering marvel that deserves to be preserved.”
Sibghat Khan, founder of Deccan Archives, called it one of the oldest surviving bridges in Hyderabad. “It has 22 arches, though some were lost due to road laying. Built in Deccani-Persian style using granite by Qutb Shahi king Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah, the bridge survived the major floods of the 1820s and 1908. It is a protected state heritage monument,” he noted.
The repair works, which were earlier handled by Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA) and State heritage department, have now been transferred to Musi River Front Development Corporation (MRDCL).