Digging Near Neknampur Tomb Sparks Row

Hyderabad: Digging with heavy machinery at the foothills of a hillock that houses a Qutb Shahi-era tomb, graveyard and mosque in Secretariat Hills Colony, Neknampur, has triggered protests from heritage activists. They say excavation just metres from the 500-year-old structure threatens its stability and have lodged complaints with multiple authorities.

Ilyas Khan, convener of Heritage Watch, filed a complaint with HYDRAA, the municipal commissioner and the Rangareddy district collector. He alleged that “illegal digging” was underway around Madeena Masjid  a reconstructed Qutbshahi-era mosque and the adjacent Saadullah Hussaini Dargah at Survey No. 31, Gandipet mandal.

“This land belongs to the Qutb Shahi masjid and Saadullah Hussaini Dargah, which are heritage sites, and digging within 200 metres of these sites is prohibited. The natural contour of the land is being disturbed and the masjid and tomb might collapse due to this,” Khan said. He added that the 59 acres and 0.02 guntas associated with the sites were being encroached despite earlier complaints to various departments.

The Bhu Bharati portal lists the 59.02 acres as prohibited land but marks it as government land under Neknampur village. Waqf officials said they had previously faced threats when objecting to the activity.

Abdul Qader, in-charge inspector auditor of the Waqf Board, flagged excavation and alleged night-time blasting using heavy earthmovers close to the tomb. “This is highly objectionable and against the Archaeological Act, as the base of the old tomb is becoming very weak,” he said in a police complaint. He urged the police to register an FIR under Section 52(A) of the Waqf Act and other relevant laws.

The mosque committee described the controversy as a “settled issue” being revived unnecessarily. Committee president Mohammed Mazharuddin said the digging was on a “registered” HUDA plot allotted when the colony was formed during the YSR era. “The plot is not part of the mosque area and is not illegal. The mosque is secured with a wall. The developers have not moved even one foot beyond their allotted land. When the matter reached the police, even the ACP was convinced,” he claimed.

In a fresh complaint on November 6 at Narsingi police station, Ilyas Khan alleged that individuals at the site had threatened him and sought an investigation. Narsingi ACP G. Venkata Ramana Goud said the issue should be resolved by the competent authorities. “If such matters come to us, we forward them to the concerned departments. These kinds of issues are handled by the Waqf itself,” he said.