No match for these Nizam built houses

Even as the urban poor languish in slums for want of proper houses, quarters built by the last Nizam of Hyderabad Mir Osman Ali Khan are still as solid as a rock. The Hans India traces the colonies that have withstood the vagaries of nature as well as time

I make it a point to keep the CIB quarter number as it is not just a reminder of a glorious period in Hyderabad’s history but also as a token of gratitude to the last Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan under whose rule these houses were built,” says D Bhaskar Rao, chief curator of the Nizam’s Museum, sitting in his house at Baghlingampally.

As solid as a rock, these 14- inch thick walled houses built in limestone have stood the test of time and have housed generations.“Hyderabad witnessed two disasters in a span of three years; the ‘Great Musi Flood’ in 1908 which claimed 15,000 lives and a plague in 1911 necessitated for the setting up of City Improvement Board (CIB).

The reason why these houses are still in good condition was the engineers’ integrity and there were no issues of commis- sions and contractors,” says Md Safiullah of the Deccan Heritage Society.

The quarters were built along the Musi riverbank, Nampally, Mallepally, Red Hills, Dabeerpura, Baghlingampally, Khairatabad, Sultan Shahi, Gunfoundry and several other places in the city. Even today, the houses are in good condition and many owners have built floors above them.

Rahmat, a resident of New Mallepally, says, “The structure is so good that we could build additional floor with 9 inch walls. Granite was used as was abundantly available in the region which makes the houses sturdy.”

Rows of houses in New Mallepally built under the CIB now still stand but with additional floors. Likewise, in several areas the owners have either demolished and built high-rises or have built additional floors.

Initially, the beneficiaries had to pay rent of Rs 12, Rs 15 and Rs 9 and Rs 3 based on the type of the house. The CIB classified the houses into four categories A, B, C and D. The houses also have a logo on the houses but today one cannot find them as successive owners modified the houses.

P Anuradha Reddy, convenor, INTACH Hyderabad says, “There were no bureaucratic hurdles and the housing scheme was without a blemish. Generations have been living in them and these houses will survive for another 70-100 years.”

The CIB was merged with the AP Housing Board in 1965 and with it the housing scheme has seen a downward trend.

Several government schemes for the BLP families such as the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM),

Rajiv Gruha Kalpa (RGK) and Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana VAMBAY have not been able to match up with the houses of the past. Old it seems is definitely gold.

By:T.P.Venu