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| Collapsed wall of Golconda fort, Hyderabad. thehansindia.com |
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| Collapsed wall of Golconda fort, Hyderabad. thehansindia.com |
The recent news that portions of the Golconda Fort’s Naya Qila (new fort), built between the 14th and 17th centuries, had given way creating a three-metre-wide hole is a sad one. The 8 to 9 meter wide and 12 meter high vertical wall with ashlar masonry and dressed blocks of granite laid together without bonding material, had now begun to slide inwards, as its earthen sections were washed away due to heavy rains. Inward sloping of the granite blocks on the rampart wall of the Naya Qila (new fort) has to be carefully tackled by the experts from the ASI. At stake is the heritage aspects of this historical fort that needs periodic maintenance.
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| The Golconda fort, Hyderabad. hyderabad.telangana.gov.in |
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| Golconda fort, India thehansindia.com |
It was in 1656 the Naya Qila that includes a hillock and a lake, was added as an extension to the outer wall of the fort, enclosing a small area by the Qutb Shahi dynasty. The Mughal Army of Aurangzeb used the hillock to train his guns at the older fort, built in the 12th century. Media reports and heritage lovers claim that poor planning and “unscientific and ad-hoc interventions'' have made the fort structurally weak. During rains, etc excess water flow which is not supposed to flow through this area caused additional damages to the fort wall. According to Sajjad Shahid, a civil engineer and co-convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) prompt action by the ASI is a must to prevent further damages. Mohammed Saifullah, a heritage activist said that a large part of the upper parapet of the fortification behind the Makki Darwaza collapsed in the afternoon due to the incessant rains Qutb Shahi-era rampart wall in Golconda is on verge of collapse;
Primary cause of this severe damage is due to rechannelling of water in this site that negatively impacted the ramparts of Hyderabad’s famous heritage monument
A 52-acre golf course came up recently in the Naya Qila portion of the Golconda Fort and it was done by changing the terrain. The bastion near the baobab tree known as Tad Burj, is a tee-off point, The change included filling up the water body inside the fortification. The source of water is from the lake outside the fort, which used to flow into the fort, but it is channelised through a new opening created two years ago.
The caving in the rampart wall resulted in the change of alignment of rock blocks. Architect Sibghat Khan, who noticed the changes in the fort wall during a heritage walk said “The wall was not damaged overnight. It happened due to channelling of water from the Shah Hatim Lake to prevent flooding in Nadeem Colony. If the water can be drained through the moat, further damage can be limited,”
Since Oct. 2020 the AST has known the seepage problems at parts of Golconda Fort and and the people are worried about insecure boulders protruding from above. This is part of the heritage architecture is well planned in such a way as to allow the water .to drain out naturally without causing stress to the fort wall.
In another incident in the same month, a portion of inner fortification of the Golconda Fort, near the Jagadambika temple inside the fort complex collapsed due to heavy rains. In September 2020 a portion of the Golconda Fort gateway, Moti Darwaza was damaged due to heavy rains.
Considering the heritage value of the fort, its popularity and vast size, the ASI has to be extra vigilant and take precautions to strengthen the structure before the rainy season. Golconda Fort is listed as an archaeological treasure by the Archaeological Survey of India under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. The Government should not let it rot.
