The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Heritage rock on the brink

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 23, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Heritage rock on the brink

By K. Venkateshwarlu

HYDERABAD, MARCH 22. When nine unique rocky outcrops out of the many embellishing the city landscape were included in the notified heritage precincts' list for protection, the move was hailed as matchless, as no other city's regulations could boast of such distinction.

Five winters later, at least one of these nine natural wonders, the Cliff Rock, standing majestically on a four-acre site in Jubilee Hills, near Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, is facing a grave threat, with the Government allotting large portions to individuals and private societies. Taking a cue, encroachments, including a place of worship, have sprung up.

The allotments, which have come to light recently, to two private societies and a VIP, who passed away in a tragic mishap, are in utter disregard of the Zonal Development Plan of the Master Plan, where the area is earmarked for a park.

Against norms

The allotment is also in violation of the Regulation 13 of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (HUDA) Zonal Regulations that restricts development in notified heritage precincts. The Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC), too, passed an order against entertaining any relaxation to Regulation 13 in the Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills areas.

It was keeping these norms in view that the HUDA rejected their applications for change in land use, despite pressure being brought from top officials. In one instance, one of these officials even wrote to the HUDA, saying that the rejection amounted to insubordination, it was reliably learnt.

On its part, a spokesperson of the Society to Save Rocks (SSR), says the issue was taken up with the HCC at a meeting recently. It has to be seen if the Government goes ahead and issues orders, overruling HUDA's orders.

Bad precedent

Shocked heritage and rock enthusiasts feel that the Government has set a bad precedent, by making such allotment. In a city brimming with greedy realtors, who would not leave a square inch of open space, there would be more such demands. They wonder why land forming part of recreation zone and of protected heritage precincts be allotted to individuals and societies when there is large extent available elsewhere.

`Cliff Rock,' forms a symphony, so to say, along with other formations notified for protection and imaginatively named after their shapes -- Bear's Nose, Mushroom Rock, Monster Rock, Tortoise Rock, Toadstool and Obelisk -- being some of them.

They were all brought under the protective cover of Regulation 13 in May 2000 after a long struggle by the SSR.

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