HYDERABAD: The iconic 102-year-old Kacheguda Railway Station is in a state of neglect, with plaster peeling off at various places and damages visible in the structure of the building. The condition of few sections of the building has alarmed city-based historians and architects. For instance, a cupola on top of a pillar that is crumbling, with bricks being exposed, is in danger, says conservation architect Anuradha Naik. “Since the pillar has been damaged, there is a likelihood that the stability of the structure might be compromised,” she said.
“Apart from that, heavy-duty metal structures have been erected on top of one of the sections and the bricks of the parapet are also exposed.
Though the condition of the parapet is not a structural concern, the metal structures are,” Naik said. “Aesthetically too, its not appropriate at all.
They have broken the original detail of the building to accommodate a contemporary intervention. That itself speaks of the insensitivity of the repair,” Naik added.
Constructed in 1916, the station was the headquarters of the then Nizam’s Guaranteed State Railway. Recently, Kachiguda earned the unique distinction of being the first Energy Efficient ‘A1 Category’ Railway Station on Indian Railways.
Mohammed Safiullah, a city historian, said, “Our sensibilities towards heritage is very minimal. “We need to increase our respect, then only can these structures sustain. By respect, I mean not only cleanliness, but also maintenance, waterproofing and so on,” he said.