Apathy leads to demolition of Bhopal's 180-year-old heritage

Work has started to demolish a portion of Bhopal's 180-year-old Nawab Shaukat Mahal as the structure is feared to collapse any moment, due to the negligence of local authorities over the years.

A portion of the structure fell off on Tuesday, after which the Bhopal Municipal Corporation decided to demolish the structure.

The heritage that once attracted many tourists and shutterbugs to the capital city will now be remembered only in photographs, and the authorities have no answer for it.

Apart from this, many other structures and building in the city await the same fate.

When asked about the demolition of Nawab Shaukat Mahal, authorities from the Municipal Corporation said the building is old and fragile and a risk to the lives of many in the area.

Kamar Shakib, Municipal Corporation Bhopal said, "Yesterday, a part of the structure fell, after which we took the decision to demolish the part. We had issued a notice to all, the building has been vacated.