Iconic Town Hall cries for attention

Visakhapatnam: Town Hall, the iconic heritage building of the city facing the sea, that witnessed important meetings during the freedom struggle and visit of Mahatma Gandhi in 1929, cries for attention. Heritage conservationists are concerned that the building could also meet a similar fate like that of oldest heritage building Queen Mary’s High School which is in news for turning its dilapidated unsafe condition due to lack of care and maintenance.

“Bobbili Maharaja, Venkata Svetachalapathi Ranga Rao constructed the double storey structure in 1901 to commemorate the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria and handed it over to the municipality in 1904. The building is an iconic structure in terms of historical and archaeological perspective. The Town Hall in every city is well taken care of, but here we have failed to do so,” said heritage conservationist and Intach member Edward Paul.

There are stone towers on either side of the building covered with a conical wooden roof. The towers also have small semicircular arched openings and look like watchtowers. A continuous wooden beam runs over the stone columns on which the wooden rafters rest. The first floor verandah has continuous wooden railing with wooden columns at equal intervals. Mangalore tiles are found on the building roof and the openings on the roof are also provided with Mangalore tiled sloped chajjas supported by wooden members. The ground floor of the building has been allotted to Vizagapatam Club while the upper floor is under GVMC’s care and a venue for weddings and other functions.

During a visit to the place, this correspondent found that the parts of the structure are crumbling down and the roofs are also leaking. Plants have uprooted from the walls creating cracks. The first floor of the building is in such a mess emanating unbearable stink that one can not dare to get into it.

“The GVMC is not taking care of the first floor for the past two years. We are ready to maintain the floor at our own expenses and have given a proposal to GVMC for the same. However, the municipal corporation is yet to respond. We are unable to take up any renovation work on the ground floor as the first floor is in bad shape and leaking,” said the club secretary B. Raju Patrudu. Some people residing near the Town Hall also alleged that anti-social elements are thriving behind the building premises and has turned into a secret den for illegal activities as the sun sets.