Area surrounding Golconda Fort wall turns into dumpyard

HYDERABAD: The area surrounding the wall built to fortify Golconda Fort is turning out to be a dumping yard, say heritage activists in the city.
According to the activists, municipal authorities are dumping rubble at Shatam Cheruvu, a stone’s throw away from the fort. Now miscreants are blocking inlet channels of the cheruvu at Moti Darwaza.
Shatam Cheruvu is part of a chain of water bodies created during the Qutub Shahi period to rejuvenate groundwater levels.Inlets were built along the wall so that the water can be used as a line of control that separated the Golconda Fort from the city.
“The inlets at Moti Darwaza were built so that the water from Shatam Cheruvu can flow through it. Water around the wall kept enemies at bay. The area has historical significance and it needs to be preserved,” said Mohammed Habeebuddin, a heritage activist. “People are dumping waste to block the passageway. This needs to be stopped immediately,” he said.
“These inlets are part of the fortified wall which is a protected structure and yet people are doing everything they can to encroach upon it. There is no fear of government or the authorities. If remedial measures are not taken soon, more will follow suit,” said P Anuradha Reddy, convener, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
Officials of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), responsible for protection of the fortified wall along with the fort, were not available for comments.