Hyderabad readying for
Grand Cultural Show

The district government headed by Kanwar Naveed chalks out a grand cultural program depiting city’s old history & highlighting its valuable heritage

Hyderabad District Government has chalked out an elaborative plan to celebrate Festival in March next year. The proposed festival plan is based on a scheme to promote and project town’s cultural and architectural heritage. Kanwar Naveed Jameel, the Zila Nazim in this regard has constituted a committee to explore and identify architectural monuments spreading in and around the city.

The heritage committee comprising:

Mr. Aftab Ahmed Khatri, District Coordination Officer (Chairman), Mir Haider Ali Talpur, Momin Bullo, Ishrat Ali Khan, Fatah Daudpoto, Abdul Haq Bhambhro, Mr. Ali Shah, Shafat Unnar and Nadeem Rizwan, has so far made extensive tour across the width and the breadth of the town to point out old buildings and other monuments of cultural and historical value.

So far more than 100 buildings have been identified and recommended by the committee for preservation and conservation works.

Mr. Kanwar Naveed Jameel, the man behind the move has directed the Heritage Committee to work independently and meet frequently in order to beat the deadline.

Mr. Jameel apprised the Heritage Committee that Rs. 50 lacks have been earmarked for the restoration of architectural monuments of the city. This amount would be meant for only those buildings which have been earmarked for Phase 1 project.

He apprised the meeting that more funds are required for the celebrations.

However, he would initiate sincere efforts to seek the required amount from the provincial and federal governments. “Besides this, we wouldn’t hesitate to seek cooperation of Foreign Donor Agencies”, he further disclosed.

Heritage Committee during its series of sessions had discussed thread bare the mode of restoration work on the buildings and apprehended that the past mistakes of awarding contracts to non technical contractors would not be repeated.

He further said that the 88 buildings identified, be dealt in three phases, in Phase-I 30 buildings on 06 different locations were chose to be taken up on priority and following steps proposed to be taken:

a.     The owners / occupants of all the identified buildings be issued instructions not to make any addition / alteration or reconstruction in their buildings without prior permission of District Government Hyderabad.

b.     The owner / occupants of all the identified buildings be requested to communicate the History or construction details of their ancient building for completion and installation of boards at site.

c.     The TMA’s (all) be instructed not to issue permission for fixation of Signboards / Hoardings of any advertisement on these buildings.

d.     The P&DC HDA / Mukhtiarkar / Sub-Registrar (all) / TMO’s (all) may be instructed not be considered change of land use / sub-division / amalgamation and transfer of ownership rights of these buildings without prior permission of District Govt. Hyderabad.

e.     The Culture & Tourism Department requested by the District Coordination Officer Hyderabad to declare the identified buildings as heritage as per their procedure.

f.      For renovation of 30 buildings in Phase-I, an advertisement for calling expression of interest be published from construction companies to renovate / illumination of the facade of these buildings before the festival.

Mr. Kanwar Naveed Jameel further apprised the committee that on the pursuance of District Government the Secretary, Culture, Tourism and Social Welfare Department, Government of Sindh have issued a notification vide # Sol / OSD / CTNSW / 1-27 / 1998-2007, dated 09-10-2007, directing to all District Coordination Officers of Sindh to ensure that no one destroy, remove, damages and defaces the Building structures declared as Heritage in their concerned District. Further any temporary structure like Mobile Tower, Hoardings, Bill Boards and other advertisement objects erected on such Buildings declared as Protected Heritage be removed immediately for which decided that all T.M.O’s be requested to follow these instructions in letter and sprit.

It is also decided that committee will survey and collect history of each identified buildings and informatory Boards be prepared in three languages (i.e. Sindhi, Urdu & English) and will be fixed on each buildings for the general public.

It was further decided that The D.C.O Hyderabad Mr. Aftab Khatri will hold a meeting of the committee once in a week i.e every Wednesday in Shahbaz Hall, to stream line the working and presented its recommendations to the Zila Nazim, District Government, Hyderabad by scheduling a meeting once in a month to review progress.

The buildings identified and recommended to be restored are as below:

1.     Office of Colonization Officer, Sukkur Barrage opposite Old State Bank, Thandi Sarak.

2.     Old Barracks, opposite Sindh Public Service Commission Office.

3.     Office of SP CIA, opposite Shell Petrol Pump, GOR, Thandi Sarrak.

4.     Circuit House.

5.     Old dispensary, near Goal Building.

6.     Water trough, opposite said dispensary.

7.     Govt. High School, Goal Building.

8.     Goal Building.

9.     Old lockup of Session Court.

10.   Metharam auditorium of Muslim Science College.

11.   Old Block of Civil Hospital.

12.   Noor Muhammad High School.

13.   Makhdoom Bilawal Hostel of Muslim Science College.

14.   Water Trough opposite Market Post Office.

15.   Training College (for men).

16.   Training College (for women).

17.   Poly Clinic.

18.   Jamia Arabia High School.

19.   Couple of buildings in Grain Market.

20.   City Police Station.

21.   Water Trough on Lajpat Road.

22.   Pavelion of Rani Bagh.

List of Buildings / Monuments surveyed by the committee for Hyderabad Festival

1.     Bhai Alim Chand Hemandas, Building 1916, Opposite Market Hussainabad.

2.     Over head HDA Water Works (Abandoned), Hussainabad.

3.     Float on Pumping Station, (Toosser & Co. Limited 1916), River Bank near Hussainabad.

4.     Pillar Mark of British Residency Deh Giddu Bundar Hyderabad

5.     Islamia Modern High School 1930, Hirabad Ward ’A’ Hyderabad (in dilapidated condition).

6.     Karam Chand Viroomal Mahboobani 1940 (Former A-One Hotal) Market Area Ward ’A’.

7.     A building Adjacent to UBL, Opposite Old HMC Building Station Road C.S 302.

8.     Khubchand Toloram Mahal 1923 Old Congressi Head Quarter Opposite Lady Differen Hospital C.S # 554, Station Road.

9.     Dewan Gidumal Sanskirt School & Library (Known as P.K Shani Building) C.S # 797, Station Road.

10.   Jhammatmal Kimat Rai C.S 870 Qila Chowk.

11.   Kundi Bai Water Through 1926, Qila Chowk.

12.   Building at Qila Chowk.

13.   Building at Qila Chowk.

14.   Sindh Homeopathic College, C.S 914 Dital Shah Chari ward-E Guru Nagar.

15.   Sawitri Building 1931 Hyder Chowk.

16.   Gandhi Advocate Building, C.S 1070 Qazi Abdul Qayoom road.

17.   Rahat Mahal, C.S 454 Station Road.

18.   Hyder Bux Jatoi Building, Haider Chowk.

19.   (Old Delux Hotel), Opposite firdous Filling Station.

20.   Chanumal Building 1932 Opposite Civil Court.

21.   Hiran and Bherumal Melvani Mension 1938 Court road.

22.   Deswan Dhalumal Lodge Opp: Civil Courts.

23.   Abbasi Hospital, Station Road,.

24.   Mir House, Unit No: 4 Latifabad.

25.   Sharif Mosque, Wadhan jo Pir Memon Para Ward ’C’.

26.   Naval Rai Market Clock Tower C.S # 2446 Market Area Ward ’A’.

27.   K.B Azim Building, (Old Sindh Provincial Bank), C.S # 1335 Mirran Mohammad Shah Road.

28.   Mukhi House, Holmstead Hall incline C.S # 983 ward ’D’.

29.   Holmstead Hall, C.S # 894 ward ’D’.

30.   Gangaram Nivas, C.S # 985 ward ’D’.

31.   Main Gate of Pucca Qila.

List of buildings which are being maintained by the owners / occupants 

1.     Old Campus, University of Sindh C.S # 1293 Hyderabad.

2.     Diyal Das Club, Mirran Muhammad Shah road C.S # 1298 Hyderabad.

3.     Old Mukhtiarkar office, Mirran Muhammad Shah road C.S # 1299 Hyderabad.

4.     Basant Lodge, Mirran Muhammad Shah road C.S # 1362 Hyderabad.

5.     Mir House, Unit No. 04 Latifabad Hyderabad.

6.     Sharif Mosque Wadhan jo Pir Hyderabad.

7      Hyderabad Railway Station Deh Narejo ward ’G’ Hyderabad.

8.     Session Court building, ward ’F’ C.S # 1350, Hyderabad (Restoration work in progress).

9.     Collector House ward ’F’ C.S # 1350 Opp: Civil Court.

10.   Hyderabad Press Club ward ’F’ C.S # 1354 Mirran Muhammad Shah road Hyderabad. 

TOP