Hyderabad: Alleging there is a danger to Ramappa temple due to open cast mining, former MP and BRS leader B Vinod Kumar has urged the Centre and Telangana govt to immediately withdraw the proposed PVNR open-cast coal mining project at Venkatapur in Mulugu district, warning that it could endanger the UNESCO world heritage site of Ramappa Temple and the ancient Kakatiya irrigation system.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, Vinod Kumar said it was unjust to put nearly 800 years of historical heritage at risk for a coal project whose reserves were expected to last only about 19 years. Citing a report submitted by the Kakatiya Heritage Trust to union coal minister G Kishan Reddy , he said the proposed mine would be around 300 metres deep and located approximately five km downstream of Ramappa Temple and Ramappa Lake. Vinod Kumar said the world heritage committee, at its 2026 session, had welcomed efforts by the Centre and Telangana govt to extend the buffer zone of the Ramappa site to cover the ancient Kakatiya irrigation system, canals and Ramappa Lake. UNESCO has encouraged submission of the proposal for the extension by February 1, 2027, he said.
The Kakatiya Heritage Trust report had raised concerns over geological faults, fractures, groundwater movement and the possible impact of repeated blasting vibrations on the temple’s structural stability, he said. Clarifying that he was not opposed to development, Singareni Collieries or the country’s energy needs, he said coal could be mined from alternative locations but Ramappa could not be relocated or recreated. In a statement the SCCL said, the Singareni management said it would proceed with the proposed Venkatapur open-cast project only after conducting a comprehensive scientific assessment of its possible impact on the heritage site and surrounding areas. “The management said scientific studies would be carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and other reputed institutions, and further action would be taken strictly on the basis of their findings and recommendations,” the SCCL said. Singareni said it was fully conscious of its responsibility as a public sector undertaking of Telangana and would not undertake any activity that could cause damage to Ramappa Temple, which is recognised as a world heritage site.