HYDERABAD: As the destruction of heritage rock formations continues in Khajaguda, documents from Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Ltd (HRDCL) reveal a link road - corridor 39 B & C - is being carved out in the middle of a rock formation.
However, even as HRDCL has commenced work disregarding a 2019 High Court order that stayed the destruction of the rocks, senior officials from the corporation have stated that they are working on a master plan of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA).
On the other hand, senior officials from HMDA have given themselves a clean chit saying that in July 2021 they had issued an order, GO 109, which notified the land in Khajaguda and other areas for nearly 13 road development works.
“The road that has been planned between Lanco hills and ORR is away from the rock formation. The lands used for the road have already been notified in the newspapers and the government has received some objections and suggestions after which a GO was issued for approving the work,” said a senior official from HMDA.
The GO 109 mentions survey number 452/1 in Khajaguda area to be used for the road work. These same survey numbers are mentioned in the 2019 HC order awarding protection to the land. “Isn’t this direct contempt of court? When HC has explicitly said that these lands should not be disturbed then why is the HMDA using it to lay roads?” asked Arun Vasireddy, an ecologist, who is campaigning against the destruction of the Khajaguda rocks.
The campaigners allege that the work undertaken is not on the survey numbers mentioned in GO. “The HRDCL has set up yellow flags all across where the construction is to happen, but now we see more offshoots of roads that will destroy large boulders. One illegal road work taken by HMDA is leading to others, encroaching and putting their own roads across the heritage lands,” added Arun.