HYDERABAD: The long-awaited upgradation of Koti Women’s College into a women’s university has boosted the spirits of not just the college administration, but heritage activists as well. They have been advocating the restoration of heritage structures on the campus for over two decades.
As the restoration of Darbar Hall of the residency’s main block alone took almost 22 years to complete, questions remain on what could be the fate of the remaining heritage structures inside and outside the college’s boundary walls which were part of the British Residency.
The construction of the Residency was started in 1803, after Lieutenant-Colonel James Achilles Kirkpatrick, an East India Company officer persuaded Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah II, to construct a new residency, which was designed by Lieutenant Samuel Russell of the Madras Engineers.
Though many assume that the British Residency was confined to the boundary walls of the college, research by Bindu Bhargavi Chandana, a conservation architect, reveals that the residency was spread around 0.17 sq km and its boundary area was 1.46 sq km.
According to her, there are 53 heritage structures within the Residency, among which 10 are in good condition while 22 structures have been deteriorating, three are structurally instable, eight are in a dilapidated condition, eight others have partially collapsed and two have been encroached.
The East and West Wings of the Residency within the campus were built in 1810. Alterations were done to the structures in the 80s and 90s using unsystematic methods like plastering with cement and RCC, she points out.
There are other structures like the Printing Press (Chemistry Block), Civil Office (Physics Block), the Barracks and other historic offices which have been converted into classrooms and hostels. The cemetery, historic gardens, three historic gates — Lansdowne Gate, Roberts Gate, Empress Gate and the remnants of structures which were part of the Rang Mahal demolished in 1860, all inside the college campus, require restoration.
There are structures outside the campus within the residency area, like the Chaderghat Anglo Vernacular School built in 1866, the roof of which had collapsed in 2016, rendering it abandoned. The historic Hashmath Gunj Gate in the Badi Chowdi Market made of brick and stone with limestone, still stands tall with British insignia on it, largely encroached and in poor structural condition.
Vasantha Sobha, Heritage Conservation Architect, who had initiated the conservation effort of Durbar Hall in 2000, believes that first it needs to be determined by the authorities as to ‘what constitutes heritage’ in the British Residency.
Of late, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has also been displaying interest in restoring some structures (example — Sultan Bazaar Clock Tower). As per sources, GHMC has also sent a letter to the college, showing their interest in restoring the East and West wings.
Dating back to British era
Several structures both inside and outside the Koti Women’s College were part of the British Residency, construction of which began in 1803. Conservation activists hope these heritage buildings will now be restored