Mining blasts did not damage Yaganti temple, says report

KURNOOL: A team formed by Superintendent of Police Dr. Kaginelli Fakkeerappa to go into the damage at Yaganti temple concluded that it was not due to mining blasts carried out in the area. 

Members of the team were neither technically qualified to certify nor can absolve themselves of the responsibility, said a conservation activist. It appears to be an exercise to hush up things and fix the blame elsewhere, it is learnt. Inquiries at Banaganapalle reveal that most of the employees are on the payrolls of mining barons and were inadequate to protect and preserve the national heritage site at Yaganti.

Quite predictably, the three-member team concluded that the blasting intensity primarily affects or damages nearby areas, material or constructions. As there is no damage to the nearby constructions, it can be ‘concluded’ that the aforesaid incident could not have occurred due to the blasts.

It further said the material used as a beam for the mandapam is a sedimentary rock, which can be subject to weathering and lead to cracks. Also, the beam can give cracks due to foundation settlement or vibrations on and around the five-kilometre  temple vicinity.

The preliminary report of the causes of destruction due to mining blasts was signed by Alfred, Tahsildar, Banaganapalli, P Venugopal, assistant director Mines and Geology, and Suresh Kumar Reddy, Banaganapalli Inspector of police, YP Nagi Reddy, MTS Archeology, Yaganti temple, and Executive officer DRKV Prasad.
The archaeologist who signed the document said as per Act of Central Archeology, officials of the archeology department protect the temple within the radius of 100 metres by not allowing constructions and also within the radius of 200 metres. If new buildings were to be constructed, the Central Archeology wing should give permission.