HYDERABAD: The state archaeology department officials on Monday heaved a collective sigh of relief as the much-awaited report by NMDC seemed to bring the elusive treasure under the Naubat Pahad within grasp. The report by the National Mineral Development Corporation does not vouch for a treasure but confirmed the presence of “some construction or cavity” beneath the site. The report, based on various geophysical surveys conducted on the hill at the Vidyaranya High School premises over the last couple of weeks, also talks of certain “anomalies” under the hill.
“Topographic survey, magnetic profiles and technical studies reveal linear magnetic anomalies which could be due to the presence of a shallow magnetic object or construction or an iron sheet cavity. These anomalies could be situated at a depth of approximately 20 feet,” Prof Chenna Reddy, director of archaeology department told reporters here Monday. NMDC, according to him, has been able to detect anomalies at two points at the site where the treasure is supposedly hidden.
Prof Reddy, who collected the NMDC’s final report from the corporation chairman and managing director NK Nanda earlier in the day, submitted the same to tourism secretary Chandana Khan.
After the meeting with her, he said the government has decided to form a technical committee involving experts like Archeological Survey of India (ASI), Remote Sensing Agency, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), state archeology department and NMDC, to study the report and decide on the next course of action.
He also assured that further exploration activities would be carried out at the school premises only after completion both the ongoing ICSE exams and regular school exams, which would be over by March 27.