Hyderabad: A division bench of the Telangana High Court has sought clarity from the government about the impact of Hyderabad Metro’s Old City corridor on the heritage sites in the Charminar and Falaknuma areas.
Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Ghouse Meera Mohiuddin were hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Act Public Welfare Foundation.
The petitioners have sought an immediate halt to construction, arguing that the current alignment threatens the structural and cultural integrity of several notified heritage sites.
They have also called for a comprehensive Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) to be conducted by an independent committee and for the project to be carried out in strict adherence to the Telangana Heritage Act, 2017, and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
Petitioners also sought instructions directing authorities to look for alternate routes that bypass protected structures such as Purani Haveli, Azakhana-e-Zehra, Jama Masjid Darulshifa and the Moghalpura Tomb, News Meter reported.
The foundation contended that the government’s failure to conduct prior assessments violates constitutional rights related to the protection of culture and religion.
