After years of monumental neglect by the state authorities, the clock atop the Mahboob Chowk Clock Tower, an Asaf Jahi period relic in Hyderabad, started ticking again on Sunday. Stuck in a time-warp, this 126-year-old structure was lying neglected and was crying for an overhaul for decades.
While sharing pictures of the clock tower on Twitter on Sunday, Arvind Kumar, principal secretary of Telangana Municipal Administration department, said the clock tower is being renovated.
Breathtaking stunning shots of ongoing restoration works of the Clock Tower #MehboobChowk #Hyderabad ! The clock is already functional now .. great going @GHMCOnline @ZC_Charminar pic.twitter.com/dDkhFRkink
— Arvind Kumar (@arvindkumar_ias) September 30, 2018
The five major clock towers in the city, namely the ones at Moazzam Jahi Market, Shah Ali Banda, Monda Market, Sultan Bazaar and Mahboob Chowk, have been lying defunct since several years. After multiple complaints poured from different quarters, the GHMC began the restoration work in January.
In the past, a couple of private firms were roped in for restoration works but due to various issues, including non-payment of monthly funds, the repair works have been pending for long.
“We have short-listed 12 clock towers in the city that will be restored in different phases. In the first phase, we will repair five towers. The government has already issued an order on restoration. We will be considering the ideas and opinions of various heritage conservation organisation in the city, before we begin our full-fledged repair work,” Mohammed Musharraf Ali Faruqui, additional commissioner of GHMC, told TNM.
At places like Mozzam Jahi Market and Shah Ali Banda, the pigeons perch on the hands of the clocks. As a result, the hands either get damaged or stop functioning. To rectify the issue, GHMC authorities say the project has factored in the geographic constraints and have begun renovation works that meet international standards.
Mahboob Chowk is a landmark place in Hyderabad and is dotted with three historical buildings, including the Chowk mosque, Chowk clock tower and Moti Mahal. The clock tower was built in 1892 by Nawab Asman Jah Bahadur, who served as the Prime Minister of Hyderabad from 1887 to 1894. Erected in the midst of a small garden, the tower has four clocks on each side.
Efforts are on to renovate the entire Chowk all the while retaining its historical 18th century architecture.