Hyderabad: Portion of historic Nizam-era Mahbub Mansion crumbles

Malakpet: A large portion of century-old home for the Asaf Jah VI, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan's Mahbub Mansion collapsed on Wednesday due to rains. A portion of a heritage building located in Malakpet came down crumbling. Receiving the information the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) team reached the spot and inspected the area.

According to heritage reports, the mansion was built in 19th century by Mir Mahbub Ali Khan. A majestic palace constructed in the classical European and Mughal style, furnished with luxurious furniture.

He and his wife Sardar Begum who loved to watch horse racing at the Malakpet Race Course through curtains made of gold thread.

"A major portion of the backside of the main structure collapsed on Wednesday, the team of the Town planning department reached the spot and inspected the area and barricaded the surroundings of the structure. The team also informed the Department of Heritage Telangana about the incident," said an official.

During the 1970s, the 200 acres of Mahbub Mansion was reorganised by the Marri Chenna Reddy government and set up as the present day wholesale market of Mahbub Mansion and converted into residential areas. Mahbub Ali Khan's race course was also utilised as the present day Hyderabad Race Club at Malakpet.

"However, with increasing population the area around the mansion is being encroached. If such incidents happened, there would be hazards for the people residing at the heritage monument," said Mohammed Saifuddin Shafi, AIMIM party leader.

He said that several representations were also given by Ahmed Balala to the archeological department to renovate or for the dismantling of the monument and to construct a Government Polytechnic college in the year 2018, but nothing have been decided yet," he added.

Minister KT Rama Rao along with Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and other higher authorities also paid a visit, but still nothing was done. There is no maintenance inside or near the monument, the trees had grown up from the walls and the entire area had been covered with long trees and piles of garbage. Moreover, every year walls are further cracked and crumble down.