FORGOTTEN HISTORY: The decades-old central bus depot at Gowliguda being used as maintenance shed for the RTC. Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: The erstwhile Nizam's spacious hangar at Gowliguda, once destination for all district buses coming to the city, is likely to be converted into a multi-utility complex.

The hangar is said to have been built for maintenance of the Nizam's aircraft and later converted into a bus station and came to be known popularly as Gowliguda CBS.

After the APSRTC came up with the new facility at the Imlibun island and shifted the station there, the historic premises has been turned into a garage and refurbishing unit. The hangar, then built on the lines of the California Hangar, is being used to park buses of RTC's Hyderabad-I Depotwhile the refurbishing unit is engaged in pulling out seats from buses and fixing them back after repair. "Almost 60 per cent of the hangar space functions as garage for the 90-odd buses of the depot that are sent for a wash and cleaning purposes," says an official. Given the prime location and the space available, a proposal has been mooted to develop the premises into a commercial complex-cum-depot with city bus terminal and a CNG station.

Feasibility study

The project has been envisaged on Build-Own-Transfer basis for better utilisation of the premise and the RTC's civil engineering wing has reportedly been entrusted with the task of carrying out a feasibility study. Dating back to the Nizam's days, the hangar was said to be built for maintenance of the then ruler's newly procured planes. "The planes used to land at Parade Grounds and it is said they were towed all the way to Gowliguda for maintenance purpose," says a senior official.

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