Hyderabad: Damaged structure at Moti Darwaza awaits repairs

Hyderabad: A structure attached to the Moti Darwaza of historic Golconda Fort collapsed due to heavy rains in September 2019, and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had promised to take up the restoration works. However, no works were initiated so far.

According to the ASI, after the structure was collapsed, it had decided to raze the remaining portion and take up the reconstruction of the entire edifice. A report was even submitted to its headquarters.

Heritage activist Mohammed Habeebuddin said, "Moti Darwaza has always been neglected, and no maintenance work has been carried out by the ASI for years. It has been over two years since the structure collapsed. The debris still lies there. This is an apt example of ASI's negligence towards the heritage structures in Telangana," he added.

"After the structure was collapsed, the additional portion of wall was also damaged and now a portion of Moti Darwaza is also crumbling. It needs to be repaired to avoid another major damage to the historic Golconda Fort," said Habeebuddin.

Earlier, the area near the structure was turned into a dumping yard with municipal officials burning the garbage. Due to regular fire near the wall, the attached portion to Moti Darwaza was damaged. Till now, the ASI had not taken any measures to restore the structure to its past glory, he added further.

Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage Hyderabad Chapter convener Anuradha Reddy said that the heritage monuments in the city and State were protected monuments and were valuable. "For these protected monuments, the repair and maintenance should be done by the departments concerned. We have requested the ASI to take up restoration works of the damaged structure and maintain the protected monuments," she added. Recently, Karwan MLA Kausar Mohiuddin also gave a representation to the ASI requesting reconstruction of the damage wall. However, the officials are yet to respond to the MLA's plea.