A chimney of the Karnataka Cooperative Spinning Mills Limited, popularly known as Mahadev Textile Mill, was razed to dust during the early hours of Wednesday, thus eliminating an iconic structure of Hubballi.
As workers and some people watched in awe, the chimney was reduced to dust within a few seconds. A team of workers worked meticulously to bring it down after taking all precautionary measures. Visuals of the structure being razed to the ground went viral on social media, with some expressing anguish over the lack of efforts to retain and conserve the historic structure.
The structure stood on the land that was leased out to Southern Maratha Spinning and Weaving Company established by the East India Company in Hubballi. The original lessee, Southern Maratha Spinning and Weaving Company, sold the mill to New Gujarat Cotton Mills Ltd., Calcutta (now, Kolkata), which, in turn, sold its interest in the mill to the Bharat Co- operative Textiles Mills Ltd., Hubli (now, Hubballi).
And, it was subsequently renamed Karnataka Co-operative Spinning Mills Ltd. in 1959. After the company ran into financial difficulties and was shut down, it was leased out to G. Mahadevappa and Sons for 20 years, resulting in the mill being called Mahadev Textile Mill.
In a turn of events, the State government promulgated an ordinance taking back the control of the mill. The mill which stood on 14 acres 28 guntas of land was officially ordered to be wound up in 1998 by the High Court of Karnataka. The court subsequently ordered handing over possession of land to the original owner which has now been sold to a private party.
