HYDERABAD: The Nizam-era stone wall along the Musi river bank, the old bus stand on Salar Jung Road, the Afzalgunj Grain Market, the viewing point opposite the High Court, the mosque named after Nizam Afzul-ud-Dowla, the coin seller market near Azakhana-e-Zehra, the Nizam-era bridges, Dhobi Ghat, Gaushala, the informal vendor zone, Osmania General Hospital, City College, and the High Court — all are a part of the heritage structures lining along the Musi river bank.Yet, only a handful of them are officially notified, and only a few are likely to endure through the years, despite their historical and social importance.The inclusion of Musi’s heritage structures in the World Monuments Watch list has brought renewed attention to this legacy. However, as environmentalist and heritage conservation advocate B.V. Subba Rao aptly observes, “The river itself is a heritage.”With the Musi Rejuvenation Project looming large in the background, the concern remains as to what would be done with the heritage along the river, including the intangible heritage which is often overlooked.“The Musi riverfront is a storehouse of tangible and intangible heritage. Only some of the tangible structures have been notified,” said structural engineer S.P. Anchuri.In September last, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced that heritage structures along the river would be integrated into the project as tourist attractions. However, there is very little information on the plan so far from the Musi Riverfront Development Corporation Limited (MRDCL).“The expectations we all have from MRDCL is to release information on what homework that they have done on this aspect. Have they mapped the area? Do they know how much area comes under government and private stakeholders,” Anchuri asked.“Which buildings come under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and which ones under the heritage department? What strategy are they going to adopt for restoration and conservation of the structures along that stretch?”Anchuri elaborated on the complexities of heritage conservation along the river.“It is very difficult to categorise heritage in that area because everything there, including the people, communities, and livelihoods, have developed along with the river. Taking a casual approach to this won’t work. For all we know, we might end up having an IMAX or a PVR there.”Dr Lubna Sarwath, economist and environmental activist, calls for immediate action. “Right now, it’s an emergency,” she says.Raising concerns about the Telangana Heritage Act, 2017, which has led to the de-notification of 170 heritage structures in a single decision, Dr Sarwath notes, “Where is the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC) that the Act mentions?”“If I, as an individual, want to notify a structure as heritage, where do I go? The institutions meant to safeguard and identify these treasures are missing,” Dr Sarwath said. The High Court itself raised concerns over the implications of the 2017 law.Speaking on the intangible heritage, Dr Sarwath says, “The unorganised sector thrives on the dry portions of the river. From rag-pickers managing solid waste to small businesses, these livelihoods form a delicate social fabric woven around the Musi.”She adds that this connection is rapidly being replaced by impersonal systems, eroding trust built over generations. “If this trust disappears, it’s not just the communities that will suffer but the entire socio-economic balance they support.”In concurrence with Dr Sarwath, Subba Rao also points out how the livelihoods of communities dependent on the river have been systematically eroded. “Any water body has primary stakeholders. With science and technology advancing, we’ve failed to upgrade their livelihoods while remaining dependent on them for so many things — be it the washerman, fishermen, boatmen, or the fodder community in the Nagole area,” he says.He adds that the Musi was historically navigable, with timber merchants and goods being transported along its waters. For him, the city’s academic and heritage institutions have also fallen short.“We’re a very poor country, and our methods need to be different,” he says, questioning the logic of ecological interventions that exclude the very communities that depend on the river.Dr Sarwath, along with her colleague Chakri, has proposed a ‘native wisdom plan for the restoration of Musi river.’ This initiative seeks to incorporate tangible and intangible cultural heritage into the restoration process while ensuring the voices of local stakeholders are heard. “Carpenters, dhobis, kirana store owners, they all have a stake in the river’s future. We must include them in any plans for its restoration.”To take an example of how undocumented heritage around the Musi disappeared over the years, Subba Rao recalls the gardens that he would visit as a child, a community space which he says would attract people to the river.“There were 14 gardens along the Musi, from Osmania Hospital to Chikkadpally. I used to visit them with my mother as a child. These gardens were designed by Sir Mirza Ali, a landscape architect for the Nizam. The pathways were well established, and they even had public addressing systems where people gathered to listen to local news. Today, only one garden remains — a yoga centre near Narayanaguda. It’s shameful that the state authorities and universities have failed to document this rich legacy,” he says in exasperation.“A sustainable tourism project will help conserve the history and architectural heritage connected to the Musi. Heritage structures must be conserved at all costs,” said Syed Mustafa Hussain, director of curriculum at Focus High School, adding a local perspective.“As locals, we are hopeful that Musi development will also minimise crimes such as drug peddling and human trafficking in the encroached areas. Rehabilitation can actually support sustainable livelihoods,” he said.Deccan Chronicle tried to approach top officials of the MRDCL department but to no avail.
Source link
