HYDERABAD: Heritage activists have decried the digging work alongside the Shah Hatim Talab, situated right beside the Golconda Fort, claiming that it poses a threat to the foundation of the ruins and is destroying the natural rock formations.
In the work being undertaken by the GHMC, heavy machinery including JCBs are being used for digging up mounds of earth. The work aims to divert the spillage from the Shah Hatim Talab, which dangerously overflows during the monsoon.
“The work was proposed by the previous Superintending Archaeologist of the ASI, because it was observed that the spillage was seeping into the walls of the fort. A letter was sent to the chief secretary, and the GHMC took up the responsibility for the execution of the Rs 5 crore project. When I assumed the position, I had sent them a notice, asking them to stop the works,” Superintending Archaeologist of ASI-Hyderabad Milan Kumar Chauley told Express.
The GHMC complied to the notice and stopped the works.
However, the recent outrage from heritage activists come because the municipal body has now resumed the construction again.
The ASI is currently taking stock of the situation and plans to approach the GHMC again.
Intach-Hyderabad chapter convenor Anuradha Reddy said: “The government agency should be more responsible.
They are digging right into the foundation. Where is the protection? What happened to the ‘no construction within 100 m rule’?” According to Mohammed Safiullah, head of the Deccan Heritage Trust, the works are not only damaging the aesthetic value of the monument but also damaging its chances for the World Heritage Site tag.
Foiling WHS chances
According to Mohammed Safiullah, head of the Deccan Heritage Trust, the works are not only damaging the aesthetic value of the monument but also damaging its chances for the World Heritage Site tag.
“The government should acquire the land around the monument to facilitate the progress of the World Heritage Site tag. There is also a need to revisit the Ancient Monuments act,” he said.