Part of the old Khana prison collapses

Hyderabad:A portion of the 200-year-old Old Jail Khana at Monda Market collapsed on Tuesday evening due to incessant rains, completely destroying eight tailor shops, a tailoring supply shop, a scrap dealer shop and a mechanic workshop, leaving all machinery, tools and other materials in ruins.

Fortunately, no one was injured. However, 61-year-old tailor Mulguru Jeevan suffered a toe injury at work because he could not get out of the emergency room quickly enough.

Vavilala Anuradha, a local resident and eyewitness, said: “At around 4 p.m., cracks started appearing in the building and it started leaning. Within the next 20 minutes, the entire building collapsed.”

Vijay Bhasker, one of the shopkeepers, said, “We were all busy in our shops when suddenly cracks appeared. We feared that everything might collapse and we all ran out of our shops.”

Pornachander explained: “All our machines and materials in the workshops have been destroyed. This is our only source of income.”

Vinod Kumar, 71, says, “I took over this shop from my father about sixty years ago. It is the same with many of the 61 shops in this building. This is the property of GHMC and we pay monthly rent to the civic body.”

Narsingh Rao, another victim, appealed to the government: “We request the authorities to rebuild the shops so that we can earn a living. The tailoring season has just started. We earn our income mainly during the festival season, which lasts until New Year.”

Meanwhile, GHMC Deputy Commissioner Sammaya said, “The revenue department will take care of the compensation. Inspection of the other buildings by civil engineers will be done soon. Those who have lost their shops will be redistributed.”

This British-era prison was built in 1826 from monolithic granite and limestone. It was later converted into a commercial complex.

In May last year, the BRS government proposed to renovate this historic structure on the lines of the stepwell in Bansilalpet.