Hyderabad, June 27 -- There was a time in history when Hyderabad's Nizam's soldiers drank water from Gulzar Houz, Old City's iconic fountain near Charminar. But today, it has turned into a garbage dump due to neglect and a general lack of civic sense.

The fountain, remodelled twice in the last six years, seems stuck in a loop where its beauty does not last more than a few months after restoration.

The fountain is plagued with sludge, stagnant water, plastic bottles, plates, and discarded food. Somebody's pants hung onto the green metal fence.

The fountain was built by Mir Momin Astarabadi, who was the first prime minister under Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah. It was initially 12-sided, then turned octagonal, and today, it almost looks circul...