Kurupam tower resurrection remains a distant dream

VISAKHAPATNAM: Over a year after the century-old Kurupam market tower in the Old Town area was illegally demolished overnight by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) in November 2013, the civic body is yet to follow through on its promise of rebuilding a replica with the help of the original structure's remnants.
What's more, in the last one year, certain market structures by way of shops have been constructed by GVMC in the area and heritage activists fear the tower site could be encroached upon if the replica of the tower doesn't come up soon.
After the tower was surreptitiously pulled down by the civic authorities, the resultant public uproar and sharp reaction by heritage conservationists had the then civic chief MV Satyanarayana hurriedly promising to conserve the original keystones and other remnants to rebuild the tower.
But more than a year has lapsed since then and the lackadaisical attitude of the then civic chief, who was finally transferred out in September 2014, and the lack of a full-time civic chief over the past four months along with other reasons like the general elections and state bifurcation seem to have put paid to Vizagites' hopes of seeing a resurrection of Kurupam tower.
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach)'s Vizag chapter convener P V Prasad said, "After suddenly demolishing the heritage tower, it was on December 2, 2013, that GVMC had given assurances that it would rebuild the structure. But later confusion arose as to who would reconstruct it - GVMC or the state endowments department. What is sad is that even if a replica had been erected, it would never have brought back the lost glory of the 100-year-old demolished building, but it could still have served as a replica at least for future generations to see."
"Ever since the civic body is being run by in-charge officials who can't take decisions or issue orders, the rebuilding plan has been on hold. The original clock and plaque found at the site of the demolished structure were preserved with the endowments department. But now it seems that slowly the entire place will be encroached and commercial structures will fill up the vacant place," added Prasad.
Sources also pointed out that almost Rs 1 crore was sanctioned for rebuilding the structure during Kiran Kumar Reddy's reign but no one knows what happened to that money.
Hari Charan, a local trader who owns a welding shop adjacent to the demolished Kurupam tower, said, "Around 60 shops have been constructed by GVMC in the area. We hear these will be auctioned off to parties willing to take these on lease. There are petty shop-owners in the Kurupam market area, who have been here for the last 30-40 years and won't shift anywhere. We hope that in another few months, with a regular GVMC commissioner taking charge, the replica will be constructed on the designated site."