Questions raised about Andhra HC building

The historic building of Andhra Pradesh High Court building still wears a forlorn look, ten days after it suffered serious damage in a massive fire.

With some structural engineers and experts believe that the 90-year-old building is not safe anymore, voices are being raised that not only this building but the entire high court comlex should be abandoned in favor of a bigger and more modern complex.

Giving a formal shape to the demand, the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh held a meeting at the court premises on Thursday and passed a resolution demanding allocation of 100 acres of land for construction of new complex.

Text: Mohammed Siddique

The meeting was attended by Advocate General D Sreerama Murthy and Bar Council chairman N Narasimha Reddy. The speakers at the meeting raised concerns about the safety in the old building as the debris was still falling from the burnt structure endangering the lawyers. The meeting wanted alternate arrangement to ensure smooth and normal functioning of the court.

The fire which broke out in the wee hours of August 31 and continued for five hours had destroyed the historic library building, the lounge and judges' chambers. The library had rare documents dating back to the colonial era including privy council's judgment, verdicts of the Queen's bench and other historic documents. Officials blamed a short circuit for the fire.

The high court building on the banks of river Musi, opposite the majestic building of the Osmania Hospital, is a part of Hyderabad's magnificent heritage and enjoys the status of heritage structure.

Seen from the bridges across the Musi in the heart of Hyderabad, the historic buildings of Osmania Hospital and the high court building in two different colors and styles present an impressive sight, specially when they are illuminated at night.

The high court in red stone in Saracenic style was built in 1919 by the government of last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan in accordance with the plan prepared by Shankar Lal of Jaipur and executed by Hyderabadi engineer Mehar Ali Fazil. The construction was completed March 1919. The Nizam had inaugurated the building in April 1920.

While digging for the high court building, the ruins of two ancient palaces built during the Qutub Shahi era were found. They were identified as Hina Mahal and Nadi Mahal, palaces built during that era.