Waking up to the lack of security on the premises of Qutb Shahi tombs, the Department of Archaeology and Museums is planning to send a proposal to the State Government to allot funds to deploy Special Protection Force (SPF) personnel at the site. Officials said that an SPF commandant had visited the tombs a day ago to inspect the area.
“As of now, we have just 12 security personnel to take care of the entire premises. We plan to deploy one sub-inspector and nine constables in the morning and the same number in the night, on shifts,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity. He added that the entire cost to deploy the SPF personnel would be about Rs.1.5-Rs. 2 crore per annum.
Five days after 10 sandalwood trees were stolen from the Qutb Shahi tombs premises, the department has also requested the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) to raise the height of the western boundary wall, from where the woodcutters were suspected to have entered the area. “The western wall’s height is just about five feet and we have asked them to raise it to 6 and-a-half feet. We have also started taking other measures to strengthen security,” said the official.
Currently, the Department of Archaeology and Museums has set up flood lights at the rear end, near the western boundary wall, to prevent theft in the future, stated the official. He added that CCTV cameras would also be installed soon. “We wanted to close all the gates which were illegally built at the rear end by encroachers. But since there are mosques on the tombs premises, locals objected to it,” he pointed out.
As of now, the 100-acre heritage site is looked after by just 12 private security personnel. After the theft took place on Monday night, a meeting was held with the Golconda police, where it was decided that cops would also patrol the tombs regularly, said the official. “Encroachments will reduce if the gates are sealed and only one is kept open. But locals opposed that,” he added.
