Hyderabad, February 01: The historic `Moula Ali Kaman’ belonging to 1812 A.D has at last been declared a State-protected monument. The Tourism department has recently included it in the list of heritage structures following a High Court direction to protect it.
The decision came at a time when the structure has come close to crumbling under the pressure of relentless vehicular movement. Unless restoration works are taken up at the earliest, the authorities found, the monument can collapse anytime.
Officials of the Archaeology and Museums department told Expresso that a decision was taken to restore the monument after holding discussions with locals and the officials of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the Roads and Buildings department on Sunday. “I have directed our officials to prepare estimates for the monument restoration work,’’ Archaeology and Museums Director P Chenna Reddy said.
Before repair work is taken up, the officials are planning to construct a pathway for pedestrian movement.
“Apart from the main arch, there are smaller arches on either side of it. On the request of the locals, we have decided to lay a pathway on one side for pedestrian use until the restoration work is completed,’’ Chenna Reddy added.
In view of the precarious condition of the structure and based on the demand of the locals, the municipal authorities have started constructing a wall across the kaman (arch) to block vehicular movement through it. As a result, vehicles have to take a two-km detour to reach the other side of the structure to go to Tarnaka.
Earlier, an expert committee had declared that the stability of the `kaman’ was in danger. Despite the warning, the municipal authorities continued to allow traffic through it which further weakened the structure. It’s only after the locals intervened that the authorities finally buckled downed to act and closed the road a few days back. It is learnt that the municipal authorities are planning to widen the road by acquiring properties on either side of the kaman.
According to officials, the kaman was built as a pathway to the Moula Ali dargah, which is on top of a hill. The dargah is believed to have been constructed prior to 1812 A.D.
Meanwhile, a section of people argued that the kaman had no historical importance and it should to demolished for smooth movement of traffic.
—Agencies