Historic central library in shambles

HYDERABAD: Looking from the terrace of the century-old State Central Library, Mohd. Ubaid Ullah, its oldest employee, can easily make out from the myriad buildings that have sprung up in the city now blocking the once full view of Charminar that "the city has developed". But, unlike the city, his workplace that he proudly calls 'sone ki khaan' for its remarkable collection of rare books is today lying in a shambles.
The biggest library of Hyderabad boasting of majestic architecture of the Nizam's times now greets its over 700 daily visitors with crumbling walls, dust-laden books, rickety chairs with seats hanging loose and book shelves with broken glass panes that make a mockery of the locks guarding them.The original 'grand' counter is no more in use because "the ceiling above can fall any time."
This comes as no surprise given that no repairs have been done in last 10 years, but what is shocking is that no less than Rs two crore is lying unused with the management for the last three years.
"The building was originally built with lime and sand that even if repaired, its condition would deteriorate to its previous state in no time," is the reason officials cite, showing government papers stating that no technical person is available to carry out the repair work.
The old and creaking furniture has not been replaced for years. During "peak times" in March and April when students prepare for their entrance exams, some patrons have to do without a chair. Lack of manpower is also creating problems. Of the total sanctioned strength of 126 staff members, 47 posts are lying vacant leaving the visitors to fend for themselves in searching books and sections, even in finding their way through the library.
The building, constructed in 1932 and spread over 70,000 yards has only six cleaners and there have been no fresh appointments for some time now and this has resulted in poorly maintained washrooms. Interestingly, a dusty section of the library with torn books on its racks now serves as a cozy corner for lovers as it no longer attracts readers, rues a staff member.
The biggest complaint among visitors, however, is the unavailability of latest books. "Latest editions of competitive books and journals are not available and old editions are not of much use to a student preparing for entrance exams. Moreover, the library has nothing to offer when it comes to contemporary authors," laments Sandeep Reddy, a student preparing for his post-graduate degree in science.
But officials seem to think otherwise as the grant of a little less than a whopping Rs 10 lakh for book purchase is still lying idle. The library has around five lakh books but most of them are in a bad shape with readers complaining of "missing pages, pages eaten away by worms and worn-out binding covers." One of the old patrons of the library, Aziz Asif Ali, a retired deputy commissioner with the state government, says, "It is sad that rare manuscripts in Persian and Urdu have not been given proper attention and care and are left to be eaten away by worms for lack of maintenance." He has been coming here since his school days and laments the deteriorating state of the place where his socialist ideas took roots.
For many like him, it is a habit to visit the library and also the historical charm (much before the building was constructed, called as Kutub Khana Asafiya, it was the personal library of late Moulvi Syed Hussain Bilgrami, a great scholar of Nizam's government in 1890s) that keeps bringing them back here. Declared as a heritage building by the state government in 1998, the building is also popular among filmmakers and parts of many movies have been shot here.
"During the shooting of Pukar, Danny Denzongpa and Anil Kapoor were impressed with its architecture and huge collection of Urdu literature," shares a staff member. "The entrance of the main hall has often been used as high court building in many films."
Even though the library still attracts a lot of tourists who come to visit Hyderabad, it is losing its sheen among the book lovers of the city.
Another member Y Ramarao, an advocate, who has been coming here for the last 16 years, asks, "If the biggest library is in such a bad shape, what example does it set for the rest of public libraries in the city?"