Watermelon Cart Near Secretariat Faces Relocation After 38 Years
GHMC’s Annapurna canteen expansion threatens to displace beloved family-run watermelon cart, sparking pleas from loyal customers and the vendor’s family.
Hyderabad: A watermelon cart that has served many over the years under the banyan tree behind the Mint Compound, near the Secretariat, has been asked to relocate after nearly four decades.
Run by Mohammed Imran, the second-generation proprietor, the cart has operated at the same spot since 1987, when his father, Sheik Moulana, began selling watermelon slices to support the family. Each day, the cart moves roughly 600 kg of fruit, with sales exceeding 1,000 kg during peak summer.
The GHMC has marked the location for the expansion of an Annapurna canteen, increasing the kiosk footprint from 10×10 ft to 10×40 ft. Imran says the larger structure will displace his cart and threatens the livelihood of four family members and three employees.
“This cart is a landmark,” Imran told reporters on Monday. “If we are forced to move, our sales will drop drastically. We have asked GHMC to limit the canteen to 10 × 30 ft so we can stay.”
Customers echoed his concerns. Mohd Zubair, a resident of Old CIB Quarters, recalled frequenting the cart for 25 years: “Back in school, this spot was synonymous with watermelon. Necklace Road wasn’t even popular yet, everyone met here. It was a popular hangout.”
Swathi Das of Somajiguda added, “Our school was near the Secretariat, and we always stopped for a slice on the way home. It was available in all seasons.”
GHMC officials have yet to respond publicly to the vendor’s request for reconsideration. For now, the fate of the beloved watermelon stop, and the livelihoods tied to it, hangs in the balance
