Hyderabad, June 26: The first bridge in the city, the Puranapul, built in the 16th Century by Sultan Ibrahim Qutub Shah, instead of being a cherished historical monument has become the headquarters of an extortion racket.
Hundreds of illegal vegetable shops line the bridge with a local goon, who the vendors say is called Arjun Pahelwan, collecting money from them for allowing them to sell the vegetables.
“We are giving money for selling vegetables here to the ‘Bhai’s’ people. I give Rs 25 a day,” says one of the vendors.
The GHMC, however, claims it knows nothing about the encroachment. The GHMC’s chief city planner, Mr G.V. Raghu, said, “The encroachment hasn’t come to our notice. We will inspect the bridge and will take steps.”
Asghar Ali Bilgrami in his book Landmarks of the Deccan writes that the bridge was built by Sultan Ibrahim to make it easy for his son to cross the Musi and meet his beloved Bagmati.
A less romantic version has it that Qutub Shah built the bridge in order to allow the outward expansion of the city.
—Agencies