The collapse of Golconda Fort’s Majnu Burj has triggered a wave of anger among civic activists and citizens. “This is a result of unscientific, unsystematic and ignorant upkeep of monuments. Who is supervising the structure that is classified as a national monument? What action will the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) now take,” asked Anuradha Reddy of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage.
The collapsed portion of the bastion fell on the golf course, pointed out Lubna Sarwath of Save Our Urban Lakes. “Why was the norm of 100-metre buffer zone ignored? This is a result of criminal negligence which will affect Hyderabad’s case for a World Heritage Site status,” she said. “Earlier when I visited the site, there was no access to the cannon. Later, the steps of the bastion were cleared of thorny bushes and a cement plastering was done on the steps leading to the top,” she informed putting into focus the nature of conservation effort at the monument that dates back to 1656.
The Majnu Burj and other structures were built after the Mughal attack on Golconda Fort in 1656. The raised rocky surface overlooking a lake was turned into a walled in bastion by the Golconda regime of Abdullah Qutb Shah.
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The collapsed portion was cordoned off by the ASI officials on Tuesday. “We noticed the cracks in the bastion in the last week of September; there was a site inspection and a report was sent to Director-General office on October 7. Meanwhile, this happened,” said an ASI official.
The cracks were noticed by ASI officials as part of routine inspection following heavy rainfall in September. “We will have to first stabilise the structure before taking up repair work. It will be complicated as a part of the cannon has no support now. We have to consider the safety of the workers too,” said the ASI official.