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Threat to Peeran Shah Wali Dargah heritage
In utter violation of the 2009 HMDA order which prohibits construction, mining activity and blasting of rocks, column after column of rocks are being plundered in and around the Hazrat Peeran Shah Wali Rahmatullah Alaihi near Narsingi.
Hyderabad: In utter violation of the 2009 HMDA order which prohibits construction, mining activity and blasting of rocks, column after column of rocks are being plundered in and around the Hazrat Peeran Shah Wali Rahmatullah Alaihi near Narsingi.
The Great Hyderabad Adventure Club and Society to Save Rocks submitted a petition on Tuesday to Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad, to stop the blasting of rocks.
Blasting has been going on for the last few days at the Peeran Shah Wali dargah atop the hill near Narsingi. “At a time when the HMDA is mulling developing rock gardens in the city, the plundering of rocks is akin to one step forward and ten backwards,” said Sangeeta Varma of Society to Save Rocks.
The rocks date back to over 2,500 million years and are among the hardest and oldest rock formations in the world. The rock precincts is listed as Item No. 8 in GO 68, dated December 3, 2009. The GO stipulates that within 100 metres from the periphery of the dargah there shall be a buffer zone in which no construction is allowed.
It is alleged that a private developer is blasting the rocks. Diyanat Ali of Great Hyderabad Adventure Club said, “Rocks have heritage protection even if one has ownership of the land.
Moreover, blasting of rocks is taking place within 40 metres of the mosque. From 100 metres to 200 meters from the periphery of the dargah, clearance under heritage regulation shall be mandatory. It also prohibits blasting and mining activity.”
Syed Mahboob Hussain, the present Muthawali (caretaker) of the over 800-year-old mosque, said that rocks within 40 metres of the mosque are blasted which is a violation of the protection of heritage buildings and precincts.
When contacted, HMDA officials said that the court was to hear the PIL challenging the order issued by the Telangana State government deleting Regulation 13 of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority Zoning Regulations 1981 incorporated to protect heritage buildings and precincts.
Hyderabad has several mosques and shrines associated with rocks and devotees from neighbouring districts flock to these dargahs on important festivals, apart from the faithful who regularly render namaaz.
In the meanwhile, the developers have been blasting rocks and are making pathways for plotting. Repeated attempts to contact developers proved futile.
“The path to the mosque would be cut off from all sides and more importantly the serenity would be lost forever,” said Muthawali Syed Mahboob Hussain.
Sangeeta Varma said, “In spite of the high court order that heritage structures and precincts should not be touched, rocks that date back to thousands of years are being plundered.”
By: T P Venu
