Charminar Set for Infrastructure Revamp
Hyderabad: From making it a hawker-free zone to setting up information boards and exhibitions to providing basic amenities like drinking water, toilets and seating areas, the iconic Charminar is set to receive a major infrastructure boost. This is being planned by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as part of the site management plan to improve visitor facilities and make the monument more tourist-friendly.
Currently, the surroundings of the monument are full of shops and street vendors, so tourists often find it difficult to see and enjoy the site. Basic amenities such as drinking water, toilets, seating areas and signage are also missing. ASI aims to transform the visitor experience at Charminar, which records around 3,000 visitors per day during holiday periods.
To talk Deccan ChronicleASI principal officer, Hyderabad Circle, Nikhil Das said that a detailed project report (DPR) for the renovation of facilities at Charminar has been prepared and will be submitted to the state government for further steps.
“ASI aims to make the area around the monument between Gulzar House and Charminar a hawker-free zone from sunrise to sunset. If the activities of hawkers can be restricted during the monument visiting hours, tourists will be able to roam around and enjoy the Charminar more easily,” the official added.
According to the proposal, shops and hawkers may be shifted to the bus stand, which was initially proposed for a multi-storey car parking facility for visitors. ASI is of the opinion that visitors can first experience the Charminar and then go shopping. Additionally, ASI plans to develop the area around Charminar for better maintenance and facilities. For this, a request was made to the Hyderabad collector and Revenue Department seeking additional space. The monument currently only has a small campus, which was built in 2016 as part of the ‘Pedestrianization Project’.
While the proposal to set up a tourist square near Charminar was earlier rejected by the National Monuments Authority due to procedural issues, ASI wants the Telangana Heritage Department to resubmit the proposal for reconsideration.
Meanwhile, ASI also proposes formation of a committee comprising members selected through the district collector from Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA), Revenue Department and other relevant departments to monitor illegal constructions around Charminar.
The move comes after ASI’s notifications of illegal constructions within a 300-metre radius of the monument were often ignored and State authorities failed to take action. “To address this, we propose a special committee that can effectively monitor and manage issues related to Charminar and its surrounding heritage district,” the official added.
Meanwhile, the Quli Qutb Shah Urban Development Authority has undertaken various projects to improve the surroundings of the Charminar, which has recorded the highest footfall among monuments in the state. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, QQSUDA director P. Gautami said that the two major projects are aimed at creating uniformity between shop windows and improving pedestrian movement in the area. These include façade improvement works at Laad Bazaar and Pathergatti.
“In the original days, there was uniformity among the stores. At Pathergatti, we are cleaning the area and improving the signage, we are also fixing the overhanging eaves. In Laad Bazaar, two stores were selected as a pilot project and redesigned with a uniform look. Besides adjusting the electrical wiring, the stores now have matching roof designs and signage, unlike the uneven look seen in the market,” he said.
Gautami added that a lighting project has also been implemented in the Charminar area. Decorative lighting is provided from the Madina Building to the Charminar, similar to the lighting in Mozamjahi Market. The project includes improving the street lights in the median and adding architectural lighting elements to the heritage buildings along the road.
