Cantonment set to lose its charm

Activists and locals are up in arms against the State government’s decision to construct a new building complex for Secretariat at the historic ground

Secunderabad: The State governmCapt J Rama Raoent’s decision to construct a new building for Secretariat at the famed Bison Polo Ground does not seem to have gone well with the locals as well as heritage lovers. Denizens have been making a hue and cry over the decision of powers-that-be to push the historic grounds to oblivion.

“The Bison Polo Ground is as significant as the Charminar and Golconda Fort. If it is lost, the charm of the cantonment too is lost,” says Captain J Rama Rao, eminent environmentalist. “For the people living in the Secunderabad Cantonment, the Bison Polo Ground is a saviour as it is one large land parcel that is open and is a green lung. Despite concretisation happening all over the cantonment, the Bison Polo Ground has withstood the onslaught of urbanisation for over 200 years,” he added.

The Bison Polo Ground is used for military training and NCC camps and is under the management of the Indian Armed Forces. The other notable grounds that come under the Armed Forces are 61st Cavalry Mounted Regiment’s Ground in Jaipur and AAC in Bengaluru.

For several years, successive State governments have been eyeing the Bison Polo Ground but due to stiff resistance from people, the plans were shelved. This is the second attempt by the Telangana government’ the earlier attempt was in 2015. In 2002, the then AP government tried to get the Gymkhana and Bison Polo Grounds for a sports complex but the proposal was dropped after citizens raised a hue and cry.

This time around, the Telangana government proposed to acquire 33 acres of Bison Polo and 22 acres of Gymkhana Grounds for Secretariat, Assembly and Council buildings and Kala Bharathi. Speaking to The Hans India, senior Congress leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy said, “We would not let it happen. The Bison Polo Ground is vital for the ecological balance and it provides the much-needed lung space. Also, there is no logic in building a new Secretariat when there is already one with ample space especially after the formation of the new State.”

In the meanwhile, Capt. J Rama Rao has written to the Defence Ministry on July 26 and representatives of SOUL, an organisation that works on lakes and important landmarks, is seriously considering going to the court. Lubna Sarwath of SOUL says, “We have already filed a PIL on the NTR Stadium opposite Dharna Chowk. We are waiting to hear from the court.

We have also given a representation to the Defence Ministry. The Bison Polo is in the heart of Secunderabad providing the much-needed green lung space and we cannot afford to lose it.”

There is a rich history to the Secunderabad Cantonment and the sprawling grounds that one sees are a result of the treaty of subsidiary alliance with the British in 1798. The then Nizam II, Nizam Ali Khan, had agreed to provide land to the British forces. After Independence, the Army has been using the grounds to showcase its weapons on special occasions and the grounds also were used for polo matches.