ASCDCL revives past glory of heritage Clock Tower

Aurangabad, July 5:

The iconic heritage structure 'Clock Tower' located at Shahgunj is in the custodianship of Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC). The special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Smart City Mission, Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Limited (ASCDCL), has undertaken the task of conserving the tower by spending Rs 29.11 lakh from the Smart City Fund. The work is nearing completion and the tourists could soon be able to see the newly renovated heritage structure soon.

The ASCDCL chief executive officer Astik Kumar Pandey has played a vital role in reviving the past glory of the Clock Tower. The structure, built during the 1900s, was lying in dilapidated condition, and at the mercy of the then civic officials. It was craving for attention, but the plea did not fell on the deaf ears of the whimsical authorities lacking vision and interest to protect and save the heritage.

Earlier, the ASCDCL floated the tender, inviting experts to repair and maintain the Clock Tower, many a time, but the response was very poor. Later on, the ASCDCL contacted the contractors who were conserving the nine heritage gates in the city. Of which, one Kazi Sirajoddin undertook the task. The old plaster was completely peeled off from the tower. Later on, an expert committee was constituted to set the parameters to conserve the heritage structure. The contractor was directed to prepare the ancient old mixture (for repairing and plaster) using brick powder, jaggery, gum, belpatta, methi, bhendi and siras etc. This mixture was left to get decomposed for a month and then boiled in a large iron cauldron and then used for the conservation purpose. The traditional scaffolding was erected so that the masons could complete the task perfectly.

The contractor had set up a special unit near Naubat Darwaza to prepare the special mixture and the work was going on for the past year. No cement has been used in the task. Needless to say, the renovation has increased the life span of the Clock Tower by 50-70 years. The work is in the last leg as the colouring work is underway.

It may be noted that the sixth Nizam Maheboob Ali Khan (of Nizam Dynasty) had built the tower, in front of the Shahgunj Mosque (Masjid-e-Kalan), to commemorate the completion of 25 years to the Nizam's Rule. The construction started on May 3, 1901, and was completed on October 30, 1906. The speciality of the tower is that it raises alarm at every hour. Besides, there is a tradition of blowing the siren during the holy month of Ramzan. The voice is heard clearly in the old city. With the passing of time, the clock got defunct and its beauty got faded due to its dilapidated condition. The AMC officials, in past, tried their best to repair the clock and the siren but were getting defunct frequently.

It may be noted that the tower is seen by the tourists visiting the old city. The tourists, however, expressed their displeasure on seeing the encroachment around the Clock Tower. There is no space for the tourist to wait or sit and have a glance at it. The demand to provide tourist facilities at the tower is gearing up by associates of the tourism industry.