A portion of the elevation on the old Telangana Assembly building collapsed on Tuesday afternoon. The debris fell into the garden located within the compound wall. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. The portion that crumbled is located on the east side of the old Assembly building located at the Public Gardens in Hyderabad.
When the portion of the structure crumbled, it reportedly made a loud noise. Security and curious onlookers gathered outside. The portion that collapsed is located above the office of the Government Chief Whip.
The building’s construction began in 1905 and was completed by December 1913. It was built by the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad, Mahbub Ali Khan. The Nizam used the building as a Town Hall and it was known as the Hyderabad City Town Hall. Later, the building was used as the Assembly Hall.
The old Telangana Assembly building is a heritage building. The funds for the construction of the building were crowdsourced from the citizens of Hyderabad to mark the 40th birthday of Nizam Mahbub Ali Khan.
This building is one of the majestic buildings located outside the palace of the Nizams. The building reflects the fusion of the Persian and the Rajasthani architectural styles.
In 1980, the new Assembly building (beside the old building) was constructed to accommodate the legislative offices of ministers and political parties. The style and architecture of the old building was replicated in the new building too.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had planned to construct another new Assembly at Errum Manzil, located in the heart of the city. It was estimated that it would cost Rs 100 crore for the project. However, in response to several PILs (public interest litigation) filed against the move, the Telangana High Court directed the state government not to demolish the Errum Manzil building.