Charminar, the pride and glory of Hyderabad, under peril

Hyderabad: Charminar, constructed by Mohammad Quli Qutub Shah is the pride and glory of Hyderabad in particular and India in general. It seems that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation is trying to damage the structure of Charminar in the name of Charminar Pedestrian Project. To lay pavement around Charminar, GHMC is using earthmovers for digging purpose. 10 to 11 feet deep pits are dug at the foot of Charminar. The earthmovers used for the purpose is causing vibration to the 427-year-old grand edifice. The vibrations created by the earthmovers may affect the structural stability of Charminar. Since the monument is an imposing structure, the builders may have created a wide and far foundation to keep it standing for centuries. Since earthmovers are used to dig up the road within 15 meters radius, the vibrations may affect the foundation.

Guidelines are violated in case of Charminar Pedestrian Project. The works are not executed under the supervision of experts from ASI or state archaeology. The earthmovers used for the project are never used near any historical building. Only manual digging should be taken up in close proximity of heritage sites.

Reacting strongly upon the tools used for digging purpose, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) Hyderabad convener, P Anuradha Reddy said ban on vehicles was imposed to prevent damage to the monument caused by vibrations, but ironically the civic body is employing heavy earthmovers to dig up the road, which is causing much more vibration than that. She lamented that there is no ASI supervision.

It must be noted that GHMC has not obtained necessary permission from Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for CPP works.