Hyderabad: Cutting of rock hills goes haywire, escalates risk

Rajendranagar: Leave alone the government lands, even the solid rock hills considered as the storehouse of rich minerals, are not safe in Rangareddy district especially in Jalpally areawhere drilling and rock cutting has gone haywire trampling down the hillocks one after another causing severe damage to the natural resources besides raising environmental concerns too.

Rangareddy district is known for having rich deposits of minerals like Gravel, Granite, Road Metal Quarts, Feldspar, Morrum and ordinary earth in different areas. Besides providing a source of revenue to the government, these rocky hills help build a resounding ecological and environmental balance.

These mountains that stand tall on the surface to a height up to 70 to 100 feet and deep down to the crust of the Earth, carry a wealth of minerals in the earth womb and fortify the planet crusts with their unequivocal balance besides buttressing robust support to the environment subsistence over the orbit. The high-rise natural resources are also a great source of viewing surrounding areas with a bird's eye view

Some of these rock hills exist in Balapur, Jalpally and Pahadi Shareef areas of Rangareddy district where the swaths of landscapes were turned into dense habitations surrounded with real estate ventures leaving only rock hills behind to the tender mercies of some land sharks who are exploiting the natural resources to suit their own financial benefits.

"Rock hills in Jalpally area could be seen from far flung areas but are gradually vanishing from the eyes one after another as quick as a flash. Blame it on rapidly growing population or increasing level of encroachments, all that reasons at play are leading to the destruction of such natural wealth worth hundreds of crores rupees incurring a huge loss to the exchequer," explained Vasu Babu an Ex-serviceman who is familiar with the area.

When contacted, a senior officer from the Department of Mines and Geology Rangareddy district, he said "We don't have any such details with us. Only the local Tahsildar can reveal the ownership of the rock hill existing there. We don't have any details right now regarding the same."

"Cutting rock hills without the permission from the government itself is a void-ab-initio. No one is allowed to carry out such activities putting the environment in jeopardy. It would definitely land those people into legal trouble in the days to come who keep drilling the rocks for their benefit on the cost of people and environment," warned GP Kumar, Commissioner Jalpally Municipality.