Hyderabad, January 31: Having faced a volley of criticism, the GHMC now plans to lay cobblestone on pavements near Charminar to resurrect the monument’s glory. The initiative comes under the Charminar pedestrianisation project.
As part of the project, the corporation has already laid granite pavement at a cost of `55 lakh on left side of the road from Gulzar Houz to Charminar. But the decision invited wrath of residents and heritage lovers alike, who said the granite slabs not only were a mismatch with architectural ambience of Charminar and its surrounding areas but were also not strong enough to carry weight of heavy vehicles.
Therefore the decision to opt for cobblestones, that are strong and aesthetically in line with architectural ambience of the area, according to officials. A GHMC official said: “We have completed work on only 12.5 per cent of the total pavement (stretch) that is to be laid. Now we have decided to use cobblestone instead of granite, (on the pavement) from Gulzar Houz to Charminar. The cobblestones are very strong.”
The official said cobblestones would also be aesthetically appealing. According to the official, tenders would be out soon, though cobblestone would cost “20 per cent more than what we had used earlier”.
—Courtesy:DC