BRS opposes Singareni open-cast mining near Ramappa Temple

Former BRS MP B Vinod Kumar opposed the proposed open-cast coal mine at Venkatapuram village near Ramappa Temple in Mulugu district. He urged the Centre and State government to scrap the proposal, citing concerns over the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hyderabad: Former BRS MP B Vinod Kumar strongly opposed the proposal to undertake open-cast coal mining at Venkatapuram village, about five km from the Ramappa Temple in Mulugu district. He urged the Centre and the State government to scrap the proposal to protect the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, Vinod Kumar said the 800-year-old Ramappa Temple was a symbol of Kakatiya-era architectural excellence and the only temple in the Telugu States to have received UNESCO recognition. UNESCO recognised it as a World Heritage Site in June 2021, attributing the recognition to efforts made during the previous BRS government and the Kakatiya Heritage Trust, he said.

---

The former Parliament member said Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) had proposed an open-cast mine at Venkatapuram and named it after former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. The mine was proposed to be excavated to a depth of about 300 metres, while the coal reserves were expected to last only 19 years, citing a report by SCCL.

“Will they erase an 800-year-old temple from history for a coal mine that lasts only 19 years?” he asked, stressing that mining should not be allowed even if diamonds and other valuable minerals were found in the area.

Vinod Kumar said the Centre made archaeological clearance mandatory for coal extraction near Ramappa in 2021, but alleged that Singareni was proceeding with the open-cast proposal based on reports from other agencies.

He urged Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, who was Tourism Minister when Ramappa received UNESCO recognition, to intervene and ask Singareni to withdraw the proposal. He also sought immediate intervention by the Mulugu Collector, who heads the trust for the development of Ramappa and surrounding villages.

Vinod Kumar said UNESCO had sought views on expansion of the Ramappa heritage-site area by February 2027 and urged the authorities to abandon the mining proposal without further delay.