Hyderabad: The restoration work of police buildings at Puranapul has been taken up by the Quli Qutub Shah Urban Development Authority (QQSUDA). The facelift is being given to two police outposts — one at the Puranapul Crossroads and the other located at Bahrupiya lane. The QQSUDA is handling the project and it is funded by HMDA. The works are being carried out by the Savani Heritage Agency.
A QQSUDA official said, “The contractor of the project has been asked to follow heritage conservation rules. The instructions were given to work executing agency to use the same material, which was used in the structure, when it was constructed for the first time. Besides, they were told not to deviate from the plan and maintain the original look of the heritage structure.”
“Shrubs and wild vegetation are being removed and walls are scraped to remove peeled off plasters from the structures. The projects will be finished soon and the heritage buildings will be handed over to police,” he added.
Tracing the history of the structures, during the Nizam’s period in 1760, a network of police outposts had been constructed across the Hyderabad and its adjoining areas. At that time, Puranapul was serving as main entrances for city. Dr. Dyavanpalli Satyanarayana, a historian, who was elaborating on these outposts, said, these structures were constructed in 1570 by the Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah while developing the city of Hyderabad. “The outposts were used by the then officials to oversee the works of the construction of bridge over the Musi river for linking Pool-e-Narva village with the city. Over a period of time, Pool-e-Narva changed to Puranapul,” he added.
During the Nizam period, courts, city colleges and other structures were constructed, similarly, in 1760, these structures were converted into police stations, Satyanarayana, said.
G.Raju, a local resident of Puranapul, said, “For the past seven years, the buildings are not being used due to its dilapidated condition. Earlier, police were using it as temporary camp.”
