Hyderabad’s famous icon Charminar is sick again. The Telangana State Tourism and Archaeology departments are ignoring the warnings by State Pollution Control Board officials regarding the impact of vehicular exhausts on the Charminar, things have come to such a pass that the changing colour of the monument has now put it in the ‘danger zone’, posing challenges to restoration work.
Unregulated construction activity within a range of 100 metres of Charminar posing a big threat to the structure’s stability in a way that it is disturbing foundation of structure, Peeling of plaster, air cracks on the minarets, moss and lichen growth on walls have warranted immediate repairs of the monument.
“There are also chances that the monument may develop cracks due to vibrations arising due to the movement of heavy vehicles in the vicinity,” Das said. In the past four years, PCB has sent warnings and reminders on the increase in the levels of pollution around the monument.
Unfortunately, neither the Tourism Dept nor the Archaeology Dept showing enthusiasm to safe the historical monument with faced danger. According to pollution board officials more than 60 micrograms per cubic meter of pollution is a threat to historic structures, where as the level of pollution at any protected monument should be less than 20 micrograms per cubic meter.
“Unless all the vehicular traffic around Charminar is stopped things will not improve,” Dr. Das said. The government should immediately implement the long-pending Charminar pedestrianisation project, which involves traffic management and development of environs around the structure, he added.
The Archaeology Department and GHMC are solely responsible for the bad state of monuments and failure to educate the government on the importance of taking immediate steps to protect the structures.