Heritage activists oppose open cast coal mine near Ramappa Temple, fear threat to World Heritage Site
Heritage activists are protesting a proposed opencast coal mine near the UNESCO-listed Ramappa Temple, citing potential structural risks to the site. They argue that deep excavation could affect groundwater levels and the temple's unique sand-box foundation.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing conflict between industrial development and the preservation of irreplaceable cultural and historical heritage sites.
Heritage activists, including the Kakatiya Heritage Trust (KHT), are demanding the withdrawal of the proposed PVNR opencast coal mine at Venkatapur in Mulugu district, contending that the project could pose a long-term threat to the UNESCO-inscribed Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple, popularly known as Ramappa Temple, and the adjacent Ramappa Lake.
To mount pressure on the State government, they are also planning to mobilise people from 15 villages and organise mass protests after the Dasara festival, against the proposed mine.
As part of the campaign, a delegation met Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy in Hyderabad on Saturday and urged him to intervene and stop the proposed project. They said the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd. (SCCL) was reportedly gearing up to take up the project despite concerns raised by heritage conservationists.
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