Century-old Bowenpally Post Office to be razed for elevated corridor in Secunderabad Cantonment
Built in 1922, the Bowenpally sub-post office faces demolition for an elevated corridor along NH-44 in Secunderabad. The Postal Department is seeking alternate land, as the century-old building — serving 3,000 customers — was not recognised as a heritage structure
Hyderabad: Having weathered more than 100 summers, the Bowenpally sub-post office — built during the Nizam era — is facing imminent demolition to make way for the elevated corridor in Secunderabad Cantonment along National Highway 44.
The demarcation of the sub-post office building was recently completed, along with the staff quarters located just 150 metres away, for the construction of the elevated corridor between Paradise Circle and Suchitra Junction (ORR Shamirpet).
According to records from the Postal Department, the iconic building on the highway was constructed in 1922. The blueprint indicates that the post office once extended up to NH-44 but lost a portion of its land during the widening of the highway.
The entire structure was built using load-bearing masonry and lime-plastered walls, which helped keep the interiors cool. However, the rooftop is now covered with overgrown vegetation, resulting in water seepage.
“This post office serves customers in the Secunderabad Cantonment, primarily in four areas — Bowenpally, Manovikas Nagar, Balanagar, and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Customers are disappointed that the charm of the Bowenpally post office on National Highway 44 is unfortunately set to disappear,” said YDG Smitha, Sub-Postmaster, Bowenpally Post Office, speaking to Telangana Today.
Incidentally, the building has become a traffic bottleneck due to its location on a sharp curve, posing a danger to commuters. “Vehicles coming from Bowenpally X Roads toward Suchitra have to slow down, often resulting in hours-long traffic jams,” said a Bowenpally traffic constable.
Senior Superintendent of Post Offices (SSP), Secunderabad Division, A Subramanyam, said, “The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) Chief Executive Officer has served a notice asking us to vacate the post office as the structure will be demolished for the proposed elevated corridor. We have requested certain relaxations, as our building is affected by the infrastructure project.”
The Postal Department is currently corresponding with SCB officials and has proposed two alternatives: either allocate equivalent land of 634 square metres in a prime location or identify suitable land in the vicinity.
“We have also requested the construction of a new post office building on the alternative site as per Department of Posts (DoP) standards and specifications. Until the new facility is ready, SCB must provide temporary accommodation,” he added.
The post office currently serves over 3,000 customers. “Despite serving for decades, it has not been recognised as a heritage structure. While the Postal Department retains a few British-era post offices in Hyderabad, the Bowenpally post office is now set for demolition,” said a postal official.
