Nizamabad’s 1901 observatory at risk amid official apathy
HYDERABAD: A 121-year-old observatory and weather station built during the rule of the sixth Nizam in Nizamabad is facing deterioration, raising concerns among heritage conservationists about its future.
Constructed in 1901, the observatory was established around the same time as the historic Nizamia Observatory at Phisalbanda Palace in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad observatory, founded by Nawab Zafar Yar Jung Bahadur, then minister of defence and an amateur astronomer, participated in the international Carte du Ciel project, which aimed to photographically map the night sky and recorded 7,63,542 stellar observations.
Historic role in weather monitoring
The Nizamabad observatory functioned primarily as a weather station and is believed to have supported the Nizamia Observatory’s scientific activities. The structure also housed the irrigation office of the erstwhile Hyderabad State, where local weather observations were recorded and maintained.
At present, the building accommodates an irrigation department office. The property is under the ownership of the Roads and Buildings department. An observatory operated by the Indian Meteorological Department has since been established within the same premises and continues weather-monitoring activities.
Although some of the original weather-monitoring equipment is no longer present, the observation tower remains intact and stands as a reminder of the site’s historical significance.
Heritage structures under increasing pressure
The observatory’s condition has become a matter of concern following the demolition of the old Nizamabad district collectorate building, another heritage structure located across the road from the weather station.
Heritage activists point out that several historic buildings in rural Telangana have been demolished in recent years to make way for hospitals, district collectorates and other government facilities.
They fear the Nizamabad observatory could face a similar fate unless it is formally recognised as a protected heritage structure. Conservationists have called for the building’s preservation and adaptive reuse, arguing that it represents an important chapter in the scientific and administrative history of the erstwhile Hyderabad State.
