Golconda Fort’s bastion collapses in heavy rain

Wedge marks on the rocks at the base of Majnu Burj show human role in incident

Viral images showed the collapsed bastion of the 500-year-old Golconda Fort with a portion of a cannon still perched precariously on the edge. By Arrangement

A massive portion of the Majnu Burj inside the Golconda Fort collapsed on Saturday afternoon due to rain.

Images which were shared on social media platforms on Monday and went viral showed the collapsed bastion of the 500-year-old fort with a portion of a cannon still perched precariously on the edge. The Majnu Burj is inside the Naya Qila area of the Golconda Fort, which is under the control of Hyderabad Golf Club (HGC).

Saturday’s incident

“The bastion is on the right side as we go towards the African Boabab tree in the Naya Qila area. It happened on Saturday, but somehow the word leaked out today (Monday),” said a HGC member.

Images showed wedge marks on the large rocks revealing the role of human intervention in the collapse of the bastion.

The Majnu Burj overlooks the Shahhatim Talab on one side and the manicured lawns of the golf club on the other. While the Golconda Fort is under the control of Archaeological Survey of India, the golf club developed inside the area is under HGC under a MoU signed in 2009.

Civic activists have time and again raised concerns over the destruction of the fortified structure and its moats as it was modified to ferry golfers and heavy-duty vehicles without having to use the regular entrances of the fort.