Hyderabad: There are over 330 state-protected monuments in Telangana and archaeology department officials say that shortage of staff and funds hamper the pace at which works are taken up.
Recently, a group of concerned citizens had raised an alarm over cracks, weeds, and seepages from the roof of the Macca Masjid and had approached the department about the same.
“We have submitted an action plan on Macca Masjid to the director and will take it up soon,” said Mr Vijayakumar, deputy director of the archaeo-logy department.
Speaking on the shortage of funds and staff, Vijaykumar said, “The funds allocated to the department are meagre and we end up prioritising the conservation works. There are only two sub-officers and one caretaker to do periodical inspections of the heritage sites across the state.”
A tentative list of 81 monuments from TS has been submitted for 14th Finance Commission’s grant for restorations and renovations.
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“With a high probability of the state government getting a free hand on allocation of the planned budget, the chances of the archaeology department facing further neglect can’t be ruled out. The main problem is the attitude that conservation of heritage sites is not a priority,” said a senior official from the department.
However, activists say that it’s not just conservation, but maintenance and security at the heritage sites needs attention too.
“First of all, we need commitment. There is so much work to be done apart from restoration. Tourist infrastructure, maintenance of the heritage sites, regular visits and improving security at the sites to keep encroachers at bay are a few of the things which have to be taken up,” said Anuradha Reddy, co-convener of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Telangana.
Apart from over 330 heritage sites under the Department of Archaeology, eight structures are protected by Archaeological Survey of India, and many more by the heritage wing of the city corporation.
INTACH is planning to launch ‘Zilla Khazana Programme,’ which will see volunteers reporting any incidents or problems at heritage site along with photos, at a decentralised level.
