The fire that broke out in Andhra Pradesh High Court in August this year, has resulted severe damage to the structural integrity of the heritage building, says the Expert Committee of the State Government that conducted a detailed assessment of the building. The Government is now planning to relocate the Court.

The technical team declared a risk of sudden collapse and concluded that the heritage building not fit be used. The most affected parts of the building, the Advocates lounge, Library Hall, Conference hall, Judges Lounge and Chambers, lifts and wooden staircase totals to an area of 35,000 square feet. The court premises itself occupies more than a million square feet.

The Andhra Pradesh Bar Council and the Bar Association have jointly passed a resolution declaring that the Heritage High Court Building is unsafe. They are now working with the Government to identify suitable lands for constructing a new structure.

Speaking to Bar & Bench, Additional Advocate General and President of the Bar Association, Sudarshana Reddy said, "We are working with the Government to identify a new place for the High Court. Although the design or planning has not started, the building will be a modern one with best of facilities." A. Narasimha Reddy, the Chariman of the Bar Council of Andhra Pradesh told Bar & Bench, "We have requested the Government for 100 Acres of land for the court and an additional 5 Acres for the Bar Council."

Meanwhile, the Bar Council is coordinating with the Government to identify an interim arrangement. "We need more than 4,50,000 square feet., Where are we going to find that kind of space? Neither does the Government nor do private bodies have this kind of space," said Narasimha Reddy.

Jones Lang Lassale's Vice President in charge of Hyderabad, Ritesh Srivastava feels that locating a contiguous tract of land of this size is not feasible in the city center or near the existing High Court as it is densely populated. "The focus has to be somewhere in the suburbs if the need is 100 acres. It may not be a bad idea to shift to the suburbs considering that the Government's concerns are relocating to suburbs," he says. With an international presence, and with Hyderabad developing as a software hub, the High Court might have to exist in a decongested area, away from the city centre. 

Wikipedia reports that the building is almost 90 years old and was constructed in 1919 by the Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan to accommodate 6 Judges besides accommodation for the Office Staff, record rooms and Advocate's Hall. The charm of the old court will be missed when they shift to a new building.