HYDERABAD: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) are at a logjam over the installation of an overhead tank between the two boundary walls of Warangal Fort, which if done would solve the drinking water woes of over 16,000 houses in the area.
Under a scheme which envisages laying of a 2000 km long pipeline and the installation of over 36 overhead tanks, the GWMC had proposed to install one such tank at an elevated level near the fort ruins.
However, the move has faced opposition from the ASI, who state that it would be against the rules.
It is important to note that the entire expanse of the Warangal Fort is around 30 acres, the entirety of which is mandated to be protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, which says that no developmental work can be undertaken within 100 metres of the monument.
The conundrum lies in the fact that in between the the inner and outer fortifications of the fort, there are around 16,500 houses in the area who do not receive proper water supply.
"We had opted for an elevated overhead tank so that water flow to the houses remain unperturbed. However, the ASI flagged the proposal, saying that the tank was bigger than the structure itself and would destroy the aesthetic appeal of Warangal Fort," said a GWMC official.
The GWMC was then asked by the ASI to take permission from the National Monuments Authority (NMA) in New Delhi, the nodal agency which considers requests of permission for construction-related activity in the prohibited and regulated area.
But the NMA also denied the proposal and urged GWMC officials to construct the tank outside the boundaries.
Speaking to Express, ASI Hyderabad Superintending Archaeologist Milan Kumar Chauley said, "If the permission is granted, it would be problematic. It would only encourage further encroachments in the area, and would pose a problem for the State government if it decided to choose Warangal Fort for the World Heritage Site (WHS) nomination in the future."
It is important to note that Warangal Fort and the Thousand Pillar Temple were part of the serial nomination, along with Ramappa Temple, for consideration of the WHS tag. However, the two monuments were dropped from the dossier because of the numerous encroachments in their vicinity.