Telangana High Court demands detailed ‘Excel sheet’ proof that Old City Metro won’t damage heritage precincts

It also urged the court to ensure compliance with the Telangana Heritage Act (2017) and the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (1958).

The bench gave the respondents three weeks to file an affidavit containing all relevant details.

On January 8, the court directed the state and HAML to assist the court with an audiovisual presentation.

Fresh arguments in court

On Wednesday, the Additional Advocate General, Md Imran Khan, representing the state government and the HAML, presented a brief PowerPoint on the 7-km route of the proposed metro corridor Phase 2 to demonstrate that structures protected under the Telangana Heritage Act, 2017, were not being affected.

Khan submitted that only two grade-3 heritage structures and one grade-1 heritage structure along the proposed corridor would be affected. Khan also submitted that several other structures existed, but they were not officially declared.

Advocate Immaneni Rama Rao, on behalf of the petitioners, contended that excavation and related works were already being carried out without approval from the Heritage Conservation Committee or any supervision by the director of the Heritage Telangana Department.

He argued that such a committee does not exist and has not yet been constituted.

Khan responded by saying that the government was in the process of reconstituting the committee and reiterated that all works will be carried out only after securing the necessary statutory permissions.

The bench refused to pass any observations when Khan brought to the court’s notice that a narrative had already been created in the public domain that the high court had stayed all works pertaining to Metro Rail Phase-2 in the old city.

The bench adjourned the matter for further hearing on March 3.