Iconic Secunderabad Club gutted down in fire
A huge fire broke out at the Secunderabad Club at 3:15 am on Sunday. Within moments the fires had spread throughout the club and the building was completely burnt down.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 16 Jan 2022 3:39 AM GMT
Hyderabad: A huge fire broke out at the Secunderabad Club at 3 am on Sunday. Within moments the fire had spread throughout the club and the main building of the club was completely burnt down.
Seven firefighter teams were at the spot, it took two hours to control the fire. As per the reports, the fire caused no loss of life but property worth Rs 20 crore was damaged in the fire.
"The club was closed at 11 pm on Saturday. At 3 am on Sunday, the fire broke out in the main building. Due to the wooden flooring, furniture and staircase, it took two hours to douse off the fire. The main building was gutted to the ground, but the remaining portion of the club is safe. The cause of the fire is uncertain. The club is now indefinitely closed for its members, as of now," said R Raghuram Reddy, President, Secunderabad Club.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mahankali told NewsMeter that fire broke sometime between 3 am- 3:15 am at Secunderabad Club. "It might be because of a short circuit but a conclusion hasn't been made yet. The fire has just been doused so the investigation team will go inside in a bit and then only we can come to any conclusion," said B Ramesh, ACP, Mahankali.
"This has been our home for our three generations, we are shocked," said a member at the club.
The Secunderabad Club is home to 4000 exclusive members with a committee of nine members. The committee compromises President, Vice President, Secretary, and six members including a serving Indian Army personnel. The current president is R Raghuram Reddy.
Secunderabad Club is one of the five oldest clubs in India, the oldest club being the Bengal Club of Calcutta. The club went through two name changes before the name Secunderabad Club was finally chosen. The club was established on 26 April 1878 and was originally known as the Secunderabad Public Rooms. It was renamed the Secunderabad Garrison Club, the Secunderabad Gymkhana Club, and the United Services Club.
The earliest records state that this Club was formed by the British Army Garrisons that were stationed in Secunderabad under an agreement with the 3rd Nizam - Sikandar Jah. The Club was then known as Garrison Club.
Over a period of 15 to 20 years, the British presence in Hyderabad increased and the British brought in their civilian officers to look after the Nizam's Railways, as well as the judicial system to administer the cantonment area.
Until 1947, there were only British Presidents of the Club and a few high-ranking nobility were offered membership and were members of the Secunderabad Club.
The First Indian President was Major General El Edross who was in the Hyderabad Army. After that when the Indian Armed forces overran Hyderabad in September 1948, General Choudary commander of the Indian Armed Forces became the President for a few months. Immediately thereafter the Club went into the Indian hands and Mirza Najaf Alikhan an ICS Officer was elected as the President of the Club in 1948 and then became the receiver of Salar Jung estate when Salar Jung III died in 1950.
The Club has some of the finest facilities. The food courts and restaurants in the club have something for everyone's palate ā be it continental food or traditional Indian fare. An exotic Lebanese food stall is the latest addition. For those inclined for a full course meal, a well-appointed dinner lounge is a place to visit. No description of the Club will be complete without a word about its well-appointed bars. The prime bar, the AC Bar, is a cozy air-conditioned cocoon.
The Club used to have Bollarum Golf Course and a Sailing Club as Annexes to the Main Club which was nearly 21 acres (85,000 m2) in area. The Golf Club was eventually taken over by the army in 1983 after the expiry of the lease period. The Hyderabad Sailing Week organized every July throws the Club into sharp focus for supporting the city's tryst with sailing.
The Club has a busy social calendar, with musical nites, tombola evenings, plays, and movies. There are extensive facilities for indoor and outdoor games. The swimming pool is the focal point of the hot Indian summers. Basketball, squash, and tennis courts abound. A well-maintained cricket ground is a host to many an interesting cricket game ā apart from being the training ground for many of the city's future cricketers who learns the ropes in the Club's coaching camps organized especially during the summer holidays.
Info credit : secunderabadclub.org
