HYDERABAD: Accusing government-run bodies of neglecting heritage sites in Hyderabad, conservationists expressed their concern over degrading standards of maintenance on Sunday. Insisting that Government-run bodies like the ASI are inadequate in the maintenance restoration of protected monuments and buildings of heritage worth, civic activists in the city indicated that the present model of heritage conservation “is resulting in harming the sites in question with irresponsible tourism promotion.” Speaking to Sajjad Shahid of the INTACH indicated that the respective government bodies in the State, ASI included “are more interested in promoting tourism over the actual maintenance and restoration of extant heritage sites, many of which are still in a state of disrepair in the city.” Citing the case of the Taramati Baradari at Gandipet, Shahid said that prior to converting the location into a tourism destination, “the concerned authorities failed to conduct an impact study of the surrounding areas.” He even indicated that in the name of ‘conservation’, authorities have actually “demolished some older structures in the area, which had been earmarked as being parts of the heritage site.” Another conservationist in the city opined that “in a bid to project Hyderabad as a world heritage site, the administration might have eroded the integrity of age-old structures, which in effect would be a violation of the UN charters that have been set up regarding the preservation of heritage sites.” Moreover, citing linguistic violations, Shahid said that “shops in and around the Patherghatti area at Charminar continue to flout instructions to carry the name of the institutions in Urdu, along with English and Telugu on the signboards, which,” he felt, “risks taking away from the essence of the Old City, turning it into a commercial extension of the modern metropolis.” The State government, he informed “has pleaded helplessness in this regard.” Meanwhile, M Vedakumar, a civil activist and president of the Forum for a Better Hyderabad noted that the official apathy might prove costly for the city in the times to come. “Archaeologically valuable sites like the Paigah and Raymond Tombs have, in recent years, seen less than desired levels of maintenance and repair.” In this context, Vedakumar also indicated that other places of Heritage value like the Vilayat Manzil (now the privately owned Country Club resort) at Begumpet “could be in danger of structural damage, as the corporation concerned seems to have engaged in construction and modification work in the area.” The conservationists suggested that a more inclusive model of developing heritage sites could pave the way for more “sensible” upkeep of heritage sites. “A model of conservation, which includes civil activists and conservationists along with the respective government officials could be the answer to a better method of conserving a legacy of a rich cultural past that Hyderabad might otherwise risk losing in the long run,” said Shaheed and Vedakumar in unison.
