If the K Chandrasekhar Rao Government in Telangana has its way, Hyderabad will soon lose one of its historical landmarks and iconic structure the Osmania Hospital building abutting the Musi river and the city skyline will change irrevocably.
In a move, which has evoked strong protests from the heritage conservation activists, the State Government has decided to remove the Nizam era building from the list of protected monuments in view of its run down condition.
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who visited Osmania Hospital at Afzal Gunj amid growing concerns of structure coming down crashing expressed his unhappiness over the pathetic conditions prevailing there and said that the lives of the patients and the staff was in danger as building’s condition was risky.
KCR, who admitted that he had come there too late announced that the present building will be replaced by four sky scrapers with modern facilities to serve the patients effectively.
As a follow up to the announcement of the Chief Minister, state health minister Dr C lakshma Reddy on Friday visited several area hospitals including the Nampally, Malakpet and Vanasthalipuram area hospital to explore the possibility of shifting Osmania in patients there.
The Chief Minister also directed the officials to identify suitable building in the vicinity of the present hospital to shift the outpatient department and other units there.
The picturesque Osmania hospital with domes and minarets with a similar building of High Court across the Musi river on the opposite side were part of a grand architectural design prepared by the European architects during the Nizam rule. The magnificent building, designed by Vincent Esh in Indo Sarcenic style has a domed Atrium as the center piece.
The sprawling Osmania hospital built in 1910 also has a fifteen acre garden as a green lung space for the patients.
The idea of developing such grand buildings along Musi river had come to the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan when he visited london and saw the building along the river Thames.
The premier hospital with 1168 beds capacity serves the patients not only from Hyderabad but also other parts of the state and also neighboring states.
The heritage activists were up in arms against the plans for demolishing the historic monument. Anuradha Reddy, co-convenor, INTACH, angrily condemned the TRS government’s plan. Before the election the TRS assured that it will preserve the heritage of Hyderabad.