Project to beautify Charminar area taking wing

Tourists might get a chance to enjoy the beauty of historic Charminar in the old city of Hyderabad in peace as the Telangana government has declared that it would complete the long-pending Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP) within six months.

At present vehicular traffic round the clock makes it impossible for visitors to appreciate the architecture of the four-tower marvel built in the 15th Century on the eastern banks of Musi River.

Charminar is like a gateway to the old city once the visitor crosses the Musi River through the Purana Pul, the old bridge one among the several bridges that link old city with the new. To the west of Charminar is the Laad Bazaar, the famous bangle market, and to the southwest is the Mecca Masjid.  The north side road had links with many other interwoven intricate narrow bylanes with structures built during the Nizams.

The wide Bazaar that links the banks of Musi to Charminar and beyond touching Lal Darwaza and Chandrayangutta is the busiest, as thousands reach the new city for work during day and return home by night. A large number of hawkers, fruit vendors, two and three-wheelers, city buses, cross Charminar for their livelihood day in and day out.

“Heavy traffic has caused damage to the structure as the vibrations  from the vehicles had their impact on the building; the smoke has resulted in peeling off of the plaster. This has been happening even as the structure is under the control of the Archaeological Society of India which has declared the 300-metre vicinity of the structure a heritage zone,” rued L Panduranga Reddy, noted historian of Hyderabad.

As per the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board records, structures such as Mecca Masjid, Jama Masjid, Char Kaman, the four arches, which lead to Charminar, Unani Hospital, Pathargatti, Sardar Mahal, the Badeshahi Ashoorkhana, have recorded the highest pollution rate. These figures are almost on s par with some of the busiest cross roads in the new city.

Historians and environmentalists have been urging the government to complete the pedestrianisation project which involves traffic management, development of the precincts of Charminar with amenities for the tourists and widening of the four approach roads. However, the complex nature of diversion of vehicular traffic through alternative roads and the issue of displacement of thousands of families surrounding the structure and non-availability of land for expansion have bogged down the project. Lack of political will also has hampered the pedestrianisation project.

The CPP began in the year 2000 and Rs 22 crore has been spent on the project. Only a granite road was laid and iron dividers were erected to separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic.

 When the project was first floated, it was supposed to cost Rs 139 crore. However, a few religious structures, electricity substations and politics have thwarted the project. By 2010, at the time of formal launching of the CPP by the Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, the cost had escalated to Rs 479.86 crore. Whatever space has been created by the development work has been encroached upon by the petty vendors.

According to the Forum for Good Governance, a watchdog organisation Rs 37 lakh was spent on a consultancy for advice, Rs 9.39 crore on road works, Rs 2.41 crore on development of pavements since 2006. “Charminar needs lung space,” the organisation says, demanding development of roads from Nayapul to Falaknuma Palace, Shalibanda, Engine Bowli and other surrounding areas.

With the bifurcation of the state and the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi getting absolute majority in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, the CPP got a fillip. State Municipal Administration Minister K Taraka Rama Rao, in his recent visit to the old city, promised that the CPP will be completed within six months. He also directed the officials to prepare a detailed project report so that all development works in the vicinity of Charminar could begin without further delay.

To get the development plans rolling, the municipal authorities have to shift the GHMC Zonal Office from the historic Sardar Mahal to Chandrayanagutta so that it could be developed into a museum. The museum will be an added attraction to the tourists showcasing 400 years of Charminar’s history.

 The Government Unani College and Hospital also has to be relocated. Once completed there will be hawker zones, food courts, multi-level parking complexes, pavements and underground ducts and cabling.

All the shops in the vicinity of Charminar will have uniform multi-lingual name boards and some kind of uniform modeling to bring in a modern look. Plans also include a bit of greenery in the surroundings of Charminar such as parks, fountain and other attractions.
The government is also planning to develop two outer ring roads around Charminar for smooth vehicular traffic. The GHMC authorities are planning to invite all stakeholders for a meeting on development of roads on four sides of Charminar. There are plans to improve and save the four Arches (called kamans) at the entrance of each of the four sides. 

To pacify the residents and shopkeepers, particularly in the Laad Bazaar area, the authorities have said that they will acquire land only after the owners agree to part with their property so that Charminar could be restored to its past glory.