Telangana Fails to Form Heritage Panels

Hyderabad:Telangana’s centuries-old temples, forts, stepwells, mosques and colonial-era structures remain vulnerable as the State has yet to constitute the heritage committees mandated under the Telangana Heritage Act, 2017.

The delay has alarmed historians, conservationists and activists, especially after the demolition of an 800‑year‑old temple in Warangal. More than 162 identified heritage structures in Hyderabad alone have been left without formal protection since the old Heritage Conservation Committee under HMDA was dissolved.

Repeated attempts to raze iconic buildings such as the Osmania General Hospital and Chest Hospital at Erragadda highlight the clash between urban development and heritage preservation.

Prof. K. Arjun Rao, director of the heritage department, said the first state committee would be formed before moving to district-level bodies. Dr Vedakumar Manikonda of INTACH noted that only Ramappa Temple once had a committee under Warangal administration, but a full-fledged state body has not been constituted since. He stressed that more than 1,000 sites need notification and regular review.

Aravind Arya of the Team of Research on Culture and Heritage urged the government to complete the constitution of all pending authorities with qualified experts. District committees, he said, would help monitor threats such as illegal demolitions, quarrying, encroachments and unscientific renovations.

“Anything above 100 years and having historical value is the property of Telangana people and it has to be protected,” said P. Anuradha Reddy, Intach convener, Hyderabad. She insisted that all actions on heritage sites must be vetted by proper committees to ensure protection.