New Delhi [India], July 23 : YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Lok Sabha member M Gurumoorthy on Thursday met Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and submitted a representation seeking urgent intervention to halt mining and quarrying activities near the ASI-protected Dhanadibbalu Buddhist Archaeological Site and the ancient Sri Dharmalingeswara Swamy Temple at Panchadharla Hill in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam district.
In his representation, Gurumoorthy expressed concern that ongoing excavation and blasting operations in the vicinity of the heritage monuments posed a serious threat to India's archaeological and cultural legacy.
"The continued excavation and blasting in close proximity to these invaluable heritage monuments pose a serious risk to India's archaeological and cultural legacy," Gurumoorthy stated in his letter to the Union Minister.
He noted that the Dhanadibbalu Buddhist Archaeological Site, dating back to the Satavahana period (1st Century CE), is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and forms an important part of Andhra Pradesh's Buddhist heritage. According to the MP, quarrying activities could permanently damage buried archaeological remains and alter the site's cultural landscape.
Gurumoorthy also highlighted the historical significance of the Sri Dharmalingeswara Swamy Temple, originally built during the Eastern Chalukya period and later patronised by the Cholas, Kakatiyas and Vijayanagara rulers. He said the temple, known for its five perennial water streams, is of exceptional religious, historical and archaeological importance.
The MP claimed that although the mining lease is reportedly outside the regulated area under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, quarrying operations have advanced alarmingly close to the protected monuments. Citing satellite imagery and field observations, he said active mining was taking place at approximately 90 metres, 190 metres and 200 metres from different portions of the ASI-protected Buddhist site.
Seeking immediate intervention, Gurumoorthy urged the Ministry of Culture to direct the ASI to conduct a field inspection, examine possible violations of heritage protection laws, and constitute a joint expert committee comprising ASI, GSI, INTACH, the Central Ground Water Board, the Ministry of Mines and the State Department of Archaeology.
He also sought the immediate suspension of mining and blasting activities pending scientific assessment and recommended declaring the entire Panchadharla Hill a "Mining-Free Heritage Zone" to preserve its archaeological, religious and environmental significance.
"The Panchadharla Hill represents a rare cultural landscape where ancient Buddhist heritage and centuries-old Hindu temple traditions coexist in harmony. Any irreversible damage caused by indiscriminate mining would constitute an irreparable loss to the nation's cultural heritage," Gurumoorthy said in the representation.