The Times of India         08.12.2010

Charminar project to be launched soon

HYDERABAD: Visiting Charminar and surrounding areas will be a pleasure soon as the much-awaited pedestrianisation project will be launched in the next few months.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will begin with pedestrianisation of three roads__Charminar-Chowk (Laad Bazar), Charminar-Gulzar Houz and Charminar-Sardar Mahal__round the historic structure in a couple of days. These works are being taken up as part of the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP), which was started 11 years ago.

The entire 25-feet carriageway would be paved with granite to facilitate hassle-free movement of pedestrians. Also, the road from Madina to Gulzar Houz (Pattergatti road) would also be beautified by demarcating area for hawkers by streetscaping works. With bollards on road edges, vendors cannot encroach the road.

Another major work being taken up by the corporation, as part of the CPP, is conservation of Pattergatti facade. Already, works, including cleaning and removal of external paint and shrubs, and restoration of the structure have begun on a stretch that would be 100 metres on either side of the Pattergatti road. For these works, the GHMC would be spending about Rs 7.29 crore.

"The works on paving the roads with granite will begin in the next two days. Work on conservation of Pattergatti facade began a few days ago. All these works will be completed in the next three months," GHMC engineer-in-chief P Panduranga Rao told TOI.

The CPP project was initiated in 1999, which includes creating a buffer zone in 100-metre radius of the heritage monument for reducing pollution, uniform signage, removal of advertising boards, conservation of four kamans, restoration of facades and widening roads.

Due to lack of coordination between various government departments, the GHMC could do little. With abnormal delay, the project cost has shot up to Rs 300 crore from the earlier estimates of Rs 139 crore. Till now, the corporation widened just 2.3 km inner ring road and 5.4 km outer ring road around Charminar. Of the 614 properties, still 94 are yet to be acquired for widening.

"The idea of widening inner ring road from the present 20 feet (ft) to 40 ft and outer ring road from 40 ft to 60 ft is to ensure that polluting vehicles are kept beyond 100 metres of Charminar," an executive engineer overseeing the project said.

Of the Rs 35 crore released by the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, Rs 25 crore was spent on widening roads, mostly towards land and structural compensation. The rest is being used for pedestrianisation works. The tourism department has agreed to release funds for setting up a museum at the heritage building, Sardar Mahal (currently housing municipal office).