Hyderabad: Muslim Bridge waits to enter Musi project

Hyderabad: The over a 100-year-old Musallam Jung Pul which is referred to corruptibly as the ‘Muslim Jung Pool’ is lying in a state of neglect with many railings broken at several places on the half a kilometre stretch.

The bridge was built by the sixth Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan in 1893 to connect the city with the periphery. The construction of the bridge was completed in four years and it was thrown open to the public. The structure was damaged in the 1908 floods but rebuilt later.

Historians say that the bridge was necessitated after the Puranapul Bridge and Afzalgunj Bridge to cater to the connectivity needs of the people of the south with the new settlements that were coming up in the north.

But a parallel bridge costing Rs 11 crore was constructed and opened to the public a decade ago. The bridge was constructed because the Musallam Jung Bridge was narrow and there were traffic problems. 

“After the construction of the new bridge, the older one was forgotten by the officials. Now most of the railings are broken at many places on the stretch,” said S.Q. Masood, a heritage activist. 

Noted historian Captain Panduranga Reddy said that the government was least interested when it came to protecting the heritage of the city. “Neglecting these historical structures is akin to ignoring the glorious history of Hyderabad. Musallam Jang Pul is a landmark bridge in the city and steps must be taken to restore it,” he said. 

It is to be noted that the state government announced a huge package for the Musi River Beautification project. However, it is not clear whether renovation of this bridge was included in the project or not.