The historic city of Hyderabad was once known for its rich monuments and delectable Mughlai cuisines. However, towards the later part of the 90s, gradually it became one of the leading IT centres in the country. What had started off as a silent transformation in the late 90s and led to some peripheral changes suddenly gained momentum within the first decade of the new millennium and this laidback city of the Nawabs began to resemble places like Singapore and other South Asian hotspots of development. The initial euphoria over the city’s swanky look and its growing IT stature did not leave much scope to ponder over the collateral damage that was caused by fast-paced development. The surging demand for new-age infrastructure slowly and steadily eroded the long-standing features of Hyderabad and it took time to realise that both the look and the character of the city had changed irreversibly.Today’s Hyderabad, with these sweeping changes, seems like alien territory to the people who once lived here way back in the 80s and 90s. They now struggle to recognise one of their favourite cities where they once lived, worked and had some nice memories. Some of their favourite landmarks that defined the good old Hyderabad seem to have disappeared without much trace. Hyderabad has become a destination city. IKEA, the Swedish MNC has set up here its only centre in India. Amazon too has set up its largest fulfilment centre in India at the Shamshabad area of the city.Also Read: Aided by Watered Down Laws, Hyderabad’s Pharma City Is Bypassing People’s ProtestsThe old-timers still search for Hyderabad of the yesteryears while the city’s commercial real estate sector continues to register massive growth. The Telangana government has decided to come up with IT-friendly policies to lure companies to do business here by offering attractive sops.Back in the 90s, commuting was hardly an issue. The traffic was growing at a pace as it would in any normal urban centre, but the city back then was much smaller compared to the urban sprawl it has become today, and folks could commute from one point to another within the city limits without much stress. Now a proposed trip to Secunderabad from Hyderabad seems like an ordeal of sorts during busy traffic hours. Not long back, Secunderabad was just a drive across from Hyderabad. Increasing traffic stress has widened the gulf between the two sides.Hussain Sagar, which separates Hyderbad and Secunderabad. Photo: Flickr/Rajesh_India CC BY NC ND 2.0The pace of the city now intimidates people. There was a time when the city folks used to refer to the fast-paced life of Mumbai like a distant dream, something that does not matter to them. But life has turned hectic too quickly for the city folks, and there has not been much time to mull over it.Unless one can afford to pay for thick Italian coffee in an upmarket hangout, there is no place for gossip and discussion while commuting. One feels nostalgic about the Irani Chai shops that once dotted the Hyderabadi streets in all strategic corners. People met friends and neighbours over hot chai and Osmania biscuits. A trip to the Irani chai shop in your neighbourhood, in fact, was a litmus test for someone’s social popularity. Pleasantries, small talks and smiles played a big role in spreading camaraderie among local residents. It is not only that the lung space of the ‘biryani city’ seems to have shrunk due to rampant construction of buildings, flyovers and shopping malls, but also at the same time it feels as if the city’s mental space too has shrunk with the gradual withering away of chai shops.Osmania biscuits and Irani chai. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ manojkumar chidambaram CC B SA 4.0The onslaught of concrete seemed to have overtaken all its landmarks. The prehistoric rocks that once stood out like Picasso’s artworks the moment you drove out of the city limits, the lakes, the greenery that bound the scattered rocks with water bodies in a holy unison, all have been swept away by this avalanche of development. And in their places, tall, identical, new age buildings seem to have sprouted out of nowhere. Many feel claustrophobic commuting through these high growth zones. They simply miss the vast expanse of open spaces.Those who have migrated to the city because of jobs may fail to understand this sentiment because they might not have the perspective to compare both the periods; the IT boom and the pre-IT boom times which are literally separated by just half a dozen of years or so. They may fail to grasp that a typical Hyderabadi is more used to nonchalance and camaraderie than stress and anxiety.Also Read: The Last Nizam of Hyderabad, From Untold Riches to Total ObscurityNo wonder, people who had once experienced the city’s languid pace of life now wake up to a rude shock on their return after many years. Like many other parts in South Asia, Hyderabad may one day become a glimpse of the US. Meanwhile, the residents of the city have to grapple with the flip side of development. Along with the skyscrapers, flyovers and multi-storied malls, they would have their fair share of traffic chaos and commuting blues. It is a package deal.But the usually cynical autowallah might take a wearied look at the changing state of affairs and lament, “Yeh sukoon kyun chala gaya,” meaning why did the serenity of the past vanish. But then, when it comes to development, it is always a trade-off, you lose some, you gain some, that’s the deal. Maybe the city has chosen its destiny and moved on.Rudra Narayan Mohanty is a Hyderabad-based freelancer and independent researcher.
