Hyderabad: Wakf mall wallows in utter neglect

Hyderabad: The massive under-construction building 'Garden View Wakf Mall' adjacent to the Haj House in Nampally wallows in utter neglect of authorities as two floors of the structure submerge under rainwater at least since 3 years. During every monsoon season, flooding of under construction 'Garden View Wakf Mall' has become a regular phenomenon.

It's almost a decade since the incomplete structure has been intriguing the visitors, as to what purpose it would serve once it gets completed and the officials are in a dilemma as to who will use the building. After the then Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy laid the foundation stone in 2009, and now turned a breeding ground for mosquitoes with its two basements filled with storm water.

It is causing concern to the Muslims that the Telangana State Wakf Board has been neglecting the structure. "The delay has slowly transformed the basement of the building into a breeding ground for mosquitoes with water collecting in the entire basement inside the building. This also poses a threat to the structure which would be weakened if remedial measures not taken immediately," said Mohammed Habeebuddin, wakf activist.

Several representations were also made by activists, local party leaders and many others to drain out the water and to utilise the huge building which can concern to the community, but nothing was done is these past several years and left incomplete and turned into a dump yard and breeding of mosquitoes," he added.

"Each time when rainwater is accumulated, but now two floors of basement are filled with water for last 3-4 years and none of the TSWB officials took an interest to drain the water out. The recent heavy rains only exacerbated the problem," said Osman Bin Mohammed Al Hajri, Congress leader.

In 2019, when Home Minister Mahmood Ali had visited the building along with TS Police Housing Corporation MD, B Malla Reddy, along with Wakf Board Chairman, Mohammed Saleem and others following the publication of the story '7-storeyed bldg remains incomplete for a decade' (dated October 1, 2019, The Hans India) hopes of completion of the construction of the building revived. The possibility like coming up with a grand structure with state-of-the-art amenities on par with the ambitious Police Control & Command Centre was also explored. However, it is believed that the proposal failed to materialise owing to a conflict of interest between different sections and political involvement.

"Each time there is a proposal for development, the department officials hope for revenue it would generate. But the political intervention discourages them to go ahead with it, as some leaders do not want this to be handed over on lease to other parties and wants all minority offices to be housed at this building," said sources at Haj House.