Charminar minaret damaged due to rains
Hyderabad: An intense spell of rain which lasted close to an hour on Sunday evening in the old city ripped off portions of a minaret of the historic Charminar. According to reports, a portion of the debris fell on the nearby temple abutting the monument. The incident triggered panic, as the area was bustling with Ramzan shoppers. The incident has once again raised the spectre of uncertainty over the structural stability of the historic edifice.
Over the years, investigations by institutions, including the city-based National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), on the structural stability of the Charminar highlighted the need to employ traffic restrictions and take up structural repairs to prevent further damage.
The steady downpour made matters worse as traffic from Madina to Charminar came to a standstill. Commuters and Ramzan shoppers were trapped along the main road from both the ends for over two hours before a semblance of normality was restored by the traffic police.
Incidents of several junctions getting inundated with knee-deep water and gridlocks at major thoroughfares in the old city were also reported. Traffic jams along the stretches of Pathergatti-Charminar, Shalibanda and Bahadurpura were reported.
With a large number of people coming out on Sunday for Ramzan shopping, the traffic cops had a tough time in controlling the situation. Heavy rain also occurred in several colonies of Vanasthalipuram, Saroornagar, Malakpet and L. B. Nagar. Parts of Bandlaguda and Meerpet were also inundated due to the rain, which lasted for an hour.
News Posted: 30 August, 2010
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