Trimulgherry football ground enclosed with high-rise wall amid corridor works

The iconic Trimulgherry football ground in Hyderabad has been enclosed with a high-rise wall as part of SCB elevated corridor works, restricting access to local players and walkers. Residents and football enthusiasts say the move has affected sports activity in the area

Hyderabad: The iconic Trimulgherry football ground, which nourished and nurtured the talent of several leading players in Secunderabad Cantonment, has been enclosed with a high-rise wall as part of works linked to the SCB elevated corridor between Gymkhana Grounds and Shamirpet ORR limits.

The work on the high-rise wall, which began in March on the sprawling two-acre football ground in Trimulgherry, is nearing completion, with a major portion of the wall already finished. Plastering work and barbed wire fencing on the wall are in the final stage.

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Due to the ongoing compound wall work, the Local Military Authority (LMA) has restricted entry to football players who have been practising there for several decades.

For decades, local youth from Trimulgherry, Karkhana and Lal Bazar practised at the ground during every summer vacation. Morning walkers also used the ground for walking and other physical exercises.

For the last couple of months, the ground has been bereft of its usual buzz and has taken on a deserted look due to the LMA’s restrictions. Construction material, including stones, a concrete mixer and bricks, has been dumped on the ground.

Football players said they had lost access to the ground due to the high-rise wall. They said they had no other playground apart from the one in Trimulgherry and that if they wanted to play or practise, they had to go to Gymkhana Grounds, which is more than 2 km away from their area. “Our dream of becoming football players with comfortable practice is now gone,” they said.

The HMDA built the high-rise wall as part of road widening works for the elevated corridor on State Highway-1 (Rajiv Rahadari).