https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

103-Year-Old Hyderabad Kotwali To Get Vintage Facelift

A century-old Kotwali will get a new lease of life thanks to CP CV Anand, IPS. He wanted the heritage features of the Nizam-era structure to remain unaltered. A Rs 2 crore restoration project will use original materials like quick lime, and raw gum extracts to remake it.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Had it not been for Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand a vintage structure would have vanished from the city skyline! 

In an era when old heritage buildings are fast losing out to industrialised modern structures, the City police decided to restore the Purani Haveli building that houses the 103-year-old Kotwal’s office to its original glory, for its existence is intertwined with the history of Hyderabad.

HISTORICAL LINKS

The Hyderabad City police as a law enforcement agency was constituted a decade before the First War of Independence, in March 1847, under the then Nizam. The police commissioner was called the ‘Kotwal’ and the historic Kotwali building was established in 1920. The building housed the Kotwali office till 2002 when it was relocated to Basheerbagh. 

Over the last two decades, the building has been a camp office, where key review meetings are held. But recently a portion of its roof caved in, causing concern. By restoring the heritage building to its original form, the officer hopes to illustrate the rich 176-year-old history of the Hyderabad police.

“Due to its close proximity to many iconic structures, religious places, and other crowded areas, many of my predecessors preferred to camp here while monitoring Friday prayers, large-scale events, and other processions. I had been continuing the same tradition and could notice its deteriorating condition,” Mr. Anand shared with Indian Masterminds.

MUCH NEEDED ATTENTION

One day, while conducting his usual meetings in the office, the roof of the building caved in, not far away from the officer. He understood the emergency, but he had a concern.

“Being a Hyderabadi, I could not let go of this rich structure. I felt it is our responsibility to conserve and revive these heritage structures and luckily received help in doing so,” shared the officer, who actually operates from the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Banjara Hills since 2022, and only uses the Kotwali as a camp office in the old city.

The restoration is sponsored by the GreenKo group and will be implemented by Deccan Terrain Private Limited without altering the heritage value.

RESPONSIBLE RENOVATION
Deccan Terrain, a company engaged in taking up restoration and conservation of heritage structures, will carry out the restoration using materials like quick lime, hydrated lime, raw gum extracts, fibres, and other materials, which were used for the construction of buildings, a century ago.

Another company called ‘GreenKo’, will sponsor the restoration project. The work is expected to be completed within six months. The total cost of the project would be approximately Rs. 2 crore.

“To keep its authenticity intact, they will not change the design, structure, or elevation of the building. They will restore the building using originally used materials and make sure not to demolish anything that speaks volumes of the Kotwal office’s rich heritage,” Mr. Anand told Indian Masterminds.

The new structure will have a completely revived meeting hall, CP office, and the DCP’s office. The Commissioner is expecting to inaugurate the renovated building by November, this year.

The officer inspected the structure and unveiled the plaque to mark the beginning of restoration works of the heritage building, on May 9.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
vk-saxena
Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle in Delhi: Workload Changed for 22 Senior Officers Including 16 IAS; Vikas Anand Given Addl Charge of I&PRD
PM-KISAN Gujarat
Gujarat Celebrates PM-KISAN Utsav Diwas with Over 3 Lakh Farmers Joining Statewide
CM Vishnu Deo Sai
Prosperous and Contented Farmers - The Pillar of a Developed Chhattisgarh: CM Vishnu Deo Sai
mohan yadav sehore
MP CM Mohan Yadav Inaugurates Rs1,600 Crore Industrial Projects in Sehore, Announces Rs30 Crore Subsidy for 100 Crore Investment - Details Inside
Nalco
Leadership Transition: Anil Kumar Singh Appointed Director (Commercial) of NALCO After PESB Selection - Know More About Him
CONCOR Logo Resized
Leadership Honoured: CONCOR CMD Sanjay Swarup Wins Dynamic Trade Facilitator of the Year at MALA 2025
bureaucracy news
Key Bureaucratic Changes: Delhi Chief Secretary IAS Dharmendra to Retire Next Month; IPS K. M. Mallikarjun Prasanna Appointed IG, NIA
F-35 Dazzles Reno
India Clarifies Position on F-35: No Formal Fighter Jet Talks Held With US, Confirms Centre in Lok Sabha
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
vk-saxena
Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle in Delhi: Workload Changed for 22 Senior Officers Including 16 IAS; Vikas Anand Given Addl Charge of I&PRD
PM-KISAN Gujarat
Gujarat Celebrates PM-KISAN Utsav Diwas with Over 3 Lakh Farmers Joining Statewide
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT