Builders blast ancient rocks in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: An ancient rock formation near the Peeran Shah Wali Dargah or the Peeran Cheruvu near Shadan Medical College along Gandipet road on the city’s outskirts is being razed by real estate developers.

The small but impressive rock formation is among several stunning rock formations that dot the land in and around Hyderabad. Geologists have dated these granite rocks and say they were formed some 2,500 million years ago. That is the time when the Earth’s crust solidified.

The Government of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh had issued a GO (N0. 68) in February 2009, giving these rocks heritage status. They are protected under Regulation 13 of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority Zoning Regulations 1981.

Diyanat Ali, founder director of the Greater Hyderabad Adventure Club, who noticed blasting at the rock site has now lodged a complaint with Narsingi police.

“I saw workers chipping away the granite formation and carrying out blasts at night. When I asked, they said the rocks were being cleared for the construction of an apartment building. I then lodged a complaint with the police seeking a stop on construction activities at the site. Police rushed to the spot and are investigating,”  Diyanat Ali told the Deccan Chronicle.

The Peeran Cheruvu rock formation was categorised by the HMDA as a heritage formation in 2009, and is also close to a dargah.  “The rock formation is just 100 metres from the dargah. Since it’s on the heritage list, it cannot be destroyed,” Mr Ali added.

When contacted, Chevella rural development officer (RDO) Suresh Potdar said he has instructed officials to check the complaint and take necessary action.
A rocky mound has been completely blasted to pieces and other rock formations nearby  have been chipped away too.

Veda Kumar, president of the Forum for Better Hyderabad and Frauke Quader, secretary of Society to Save Rocks ,maintained that no categorised heritage structures,  rock formations and others can be razed without the consent of the High Court.

The developers seem to be taking advantage of a Telangana government order in which it deleted Regulation 13  related to structures of heritage and historical importance within limits of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.  Activists had obtained a stay on the government order.

“There are 23 rock precincts notified under the heritage regulations,”  Frauke Quader said. Veda Kumar said he would now take up the issue with concerned authorities. But Mohd Raheem Sha Ali, deputy director of Department of Archaeology and Museums, said the said rock formation has not been listed on the AP Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules of 1960.

“It’s possible the HMDA or other statutory bodies might have listed it as protected monuments, but they are not in our records,” he said.