HYDERABAD: A year after the top portion of the Moula Ali Kaman fell off due to heavy rains, the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department on Sunday announced that it has taken up the restoration work amounting to `50 lakh. The project involves whitewashing the remaining structure, apart from widening the roads on both its sides.
“Repairs of the damaged top portion of the Moula Ali Kaman (and its basic restoration) as well as widening of the roads on both sides for smooth traffic flow are finalised. The land acquisition is also completed,” the MAUD Principal Secretary said.
With the land acquisition, the project cost may go up to `1.3 crore. The MAUD officials on Sunday visited the Kohe Moula Ali Dargah to assess the repairs and restoration required. Constructed at a time when bullock carts were the preferred mode of transport, the Kaman was built as a pathway to the Moula Ali Dargah.
During the Nizam’s rule, the Nawab used to lead processions on an elephant, from the arch to the shrine, sources said. The Kaman was declared a Stateprotected monument in 2010 and a year later it was restored using the traditional lime-and-mortar method following a High Court directive. But locals defaced it by painting graffiti all over it. Back in 2006, the Kaman developed cracks when a trailer rammed into it, causing a portion to collapse.