One day after the proposal, civic officials scaled down the plan for tramway between Moazzam Jahi Market to Charminar by limiting it to Madina, a distance of 2.3 km as against the earlier plan of 2.9 km.
The change happened after heritage activists and officials raised questions about the status of monuments near Charminar. “How will the tramway pass by the Charkamans what will happen to Gulzar Houz? Before they begin this kind of a project that impacts the most loved monument of Hyderabad they should have consultations with all stakeholders including the people living there,” said Anuradha Reddy of Intach, after she learnt about the proposed tramway project.
Key consideration
As officials from Bordeaux Metropole and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation exchanged notes at the Indo-French Workshop on Charminar Pedestrianisation Project and New Generation Tramway, it became apparent that heritage is going to be a key consideration before the green light.
“When we started consultations for the Bordeaux Metropole the first thing we did is put in place heritage legislation so that people don’t tear down buildings expecting higher commercial rents. It is important to have a heritage protection organisation in place before beginning any work. Walking around Charminar I realised that the river is spectacular. It is important to link Charminar to the river,” said Michele Larau-Charlus the Director General of Bordeaux Metropole. Her sentiment was echoed by Etienne Lhomet who said: “A legislation for protection of heritage buildings is important. Some people see Charminar as a ghetto but this will change if this urban renewal project is implemented.”
Kept out of the loop, Ali Taher of Archaeology Survey of India, said: “Charminar is a heritage precinct and we are a major stakeholder but we were not consulted at all. I don’t know what is happening. This plan has been sprung on us suddenly. We need a solution but it has to be holistic. If it is done without a hidden agenda then we are ready for it.” “Worldwide, pedestrianisation is successful only because of trams. Here the issue is not about money but about pedestrians. We are putting in place a heritage law that will lay at rest. We are planning a law that will give a blanket of protection to all the important heritage sites in Telangana,” said Papa Rao, advisor to Government of Telangana trying to put at rest misgivings about status of heritage vis-a-vis the tramway project.
