The first RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) structure in Hyderabad from whose terrace ‘Ulemas' used to sight the moon during the holy month of Ramzan faces threat to its existence.
If the AP Housing Board (APHB) bulldozes ahead with its plan to pull down “Bachelors' Building”, a four-storeyed structure next to the sprawling Moazzamjahi market, yet another landmark in the city would be relegated to history pages.
The building, according to locals, was built by the now-defunct City Improvement Board in mid-1930s during the tenure of Mir Osman Ali Khan, the seventh Nizam. “The building was constructed for poor people coming from villages to study at Osmania University, Nizam College and City College,” says Imtiazuddin Siddiqi, whose business has been running from the premises since its inception.
“The building happened to be one of the tallest buildings at that time,” points out M.A. Qaiyum, retired Deputy Director, Archaeology and Museums. “Learned people, the Ulemas used to climb the terrace of this building to sight the new moon. Since it had a large terrace, people used to assemble there on occasions.”
The building was converted into a commercial structure a few years after APHB took over it, post Hyderabad's annexation into India.
All was well until the tenants received a notice from GHMC in 2007 which said the building was in a dilapidated condition and should be dismantled. Upset tenants then hired Industrial Consultancy Services wing of the JNTU College of Engineering, Kukatpally to study the structure.
After extensive tests, an expert team concluded, “Except for a few locations of exposed reinforcement which can be easily repaired, the structure is stable and sound in its present form and poses no danger to the adjacent structures,” giving it a life expectancy of another 15-20 years. The tenants who pay Rs. 2,000 a month rent, say they are ready to get the building repaired on their own.
The APHB, however, alleges that the tenants have violated lease conditions by subletting the premises while dodging queries on the demolition. “The lease period has expired and they are not present lease holders,” said Rekha Rani, land acquisition officer, APHB. The tenants have recently gone to the Civil Court which dismissed their case.
