Telangana’s new Secretariat, an edifice steeped in class

Sprawling new Secretariat complex, a design marvel, was readied in 28 months

Hyderabad: Telangana has created an image for itself in completing mega projects in a short span and leaving the nation awestruck. While Kaleshwaram — the world’s largest lift irrigation project — was constructed in four years, the new Secretariat, with a plinth area of about 10 lakh sft, was built in about 28 months.

New Parliament building & Secretariat

---

The construction of the new Parliament building in New Delhi and Telangana’s new Secretariat commenced almost at the same time. The new Secretariat is being inaugurated on Sunday and the inauguration of the new Parliament continues to get delayed.

As per reports, the new Parliament had to be inaugurated in November last year but still, there is no news on its inauguration date. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the project in 2020.

The delay in completing the works has increased the project cost substantially. The Central Public Works Department awarded the contract to a private company for taking up the project with an estimated cost of Rs 860 crore.

This apart, the Telangana government has named the new Secretariat after the Father of the Indian Constitution Dr BR Ambedkar. There has been a demand from the Telangana government to name the new Parliament building after BR Ambedkar, but there has been no word from the Centre in this regard.

Domes, Ashoka emblem, water fountains

There are 34 domes and two massive Ashoka emblems installed on two main domes in the Secretariat complex. Presenting an aesthetic look to the complex, these domes have been constructed in different sizes. While two mega domes, about 640 tonnes, have been constructed with 55-ft diameter and 32-ft height, others have been constructed in different sizes ranging from 21 feet to 31 feet in diameter. On the two mega domes, the Ashoka emblems, which were manufactured in New Delhi, have been installed. Weighing about five tonnes each, they are 15 feet high and are made of bronze.

The water fountains in the complex are replicas of those established in the Parliament in New Delhi. There were no drawings or any information of these water fountains; officials visited the Parliament to capture the images. They were designed and constructed exactly resembling the ones in Parliament.

The Bahubali main door

As one takes the main entrance of the Secretariat, a massive door greets visitors into the complex. The four-shutter door is 27 feet high, 29 feet wide and 3.5 inches thick. The wood logs were sourced from Adilabad and Balarshah. For each shutter, about 77 cubic feet of wood was used. The logs were cut, seasoned and carved to design. The doors have hand-crafted handles, which weigh about 40 kg each and are eight feet tall. Despite their weight and size, the doors can be easily operated by one person as they come with a pivot arrangement. The brass designs embedded in the doors add visual appeal.

Designed to last for over 150 years

The new Secretariat building is designed to last for over 150 years. Hyderabad is categorised in seismic zone II, yet the entire complex is designed and constructed to withstand the risks of seismic zone III. Similarly, with the Hussain Sagar opposite the complex, there is a possibility of high-speed winds blowing across. The entire building is constructed to bear 44 metres per second wind speeds as well.

With Hyderabad witnessing sudden spells of heavy rains in short spans, the Secretariat is constructed in a way to withstand even 20 cm of rainfall in one hour. More importantly, the entire structure is certified with IGBC Gold rating and equipped with a 2.4 lakh litres capacity sump to collect rainwater.