HYDERABAD: Hardly a fortnight after the foundation stone for renovation of the Nizamia Tibbi College and Unani Hospital was laid by chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, a minaret collapsed claiming the life of a woman.
The incident highlights how the heritage monument is in a state of neglect.
“This is not an accident but an act of negligence,” said Hakim Musaddiq Khundmiri, secretary general, All- India Association of Indian Medicine Practitioners.
The NGO has been issuing representations to different authorities to carry out repair works at the 180-bed hospital since past four years but no action was taken. It has been a case of passing-the-buck between the GHMC and department of Archaeology and Museums, says Musaddiq Khundmiri.
The monument was built in 1938 by the Nizam of Hyderabad for practice of Unani medicine. “Any repairs or structural changes to the building will require permission from our department. However, it is not our responsibility to carry out repairs since it is not a protected monument,” said director of Archaeology and Museums, P Chenna Reddy.
A sum of Rs 4 crore was sanctioned by the government for renovating the college but no repairs were carried out.
“There are visible cracks in the building and we have approached the GHMC, Public Works department and the Archaeology department but to no avail,” complained Musaddiq Khundmiri. He also alleged that a sum of `3 crore sanctioned by the central government in 2006 was used only to construct the Unani medical college in Kurnool while repair of the Tibbi Hospital was overlooked.
Authorities including commissioner of AYUSH D Aruna, collector of Hyderabad who also serves as the chairman of college development committee and the chief minister have been briefed about the state of disrepair but nothing has been done so far.
CM asks officials to demolish all dilapidated buildings
HYDERABAD: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday ordered officials to immediately dismantle old, dilapidated buildings in the city, which are in a precarious state.
He held a review meeting with the chief secretary SV Prasad and other senior officials in the Secretariat on Monday in view of the incident at the Nizamia Tibbi Unani Hospital near Charminar, in which a woman died due to collapse of a minaret.
An amount of Rs 4 crore was sanctioned recently for development of the Yunani hospital.
The chief minister ordered for a detailed enquiry into the incident and asked officials to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future.
GHMC sleeps on dilapidated buildings:
Last month, the outgoing GHMC commissioner Sameer Sharma had directed officials of all 18 circles to immediately demolish 341 dilapidated structures.
But the GHMC authorities have failed to take any action so far. As the monsoon is set to arrive, there is a possibility of the dilapidated structures collapsing, causing damage to life and property.