Defense ground in Ammuguda hit, old rock formations destroyed
Now there is encroachment on the land between the two railway lines. File. | Photo credit: G. Ramakrishna
A rock salvage society has brought to light a brazen attempt to encroach on defense land in the Ammuguda area of Secunderabad Cantonment, where billion-year-old rock formations of the Deccan are being systematically destroyed to make way for a real estate project.
The Ammuguda Hills are home to ancient rock formations and open scrub that are used by members of the society and local residents for hiking and climbing activities. It was here that athlete Milkha Singh trained before making his mark on the world stage sometime in the mid-1950s.
Signboard marking defense land moved from original location to make way for real estate project | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
“When we got information about the blasting of the rock, two of us went there on Friday (May 29, 2026) morning and found two bulldozers there. Later in the evening, when I was returning from office, I went to check the condition of the rock and found that one-third of the boulders had already been blasted,” informed Sudheer Bhan, a rock enthusiast.
He recalls an incident two years ago when attempts to widen a road near the heritage Koh-e-Imam Zamin Dargah were stopped by society members citing rock formations.
Rock enthusiasts say they found bulldozers in Ammuguda and a third of the boulders there have already been blasted | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
A video clip shared by members of the Society shows a rusting signboard a short distance from where the rocks were destroyed, announcing that the land belongs to the defense. The piles of stones and cement bricks supporting his feet clearly indicated that he had been moved from elsewhere and planted here.
Google Street View images show the signboard’s original location – right in the middle of the path leading to the boulders, which now lie in a ruined pile.
Google Street View images also clearly show the same slab, planted right in the middle of the path leading to the rock formations, confirming attempted trespassing. The role of a political leader from the area is said to be behind the intervention.
“It seems that they accelerated the illegal efforts and took advantage of the transition period before the merger of Cantonment in GHMC,” says Sangeeta Varma, another member of the Society.
Local residents say attempts to encroach on the land are not new. It started more than a decade ago and has been moving at a slow pace ahead of the 2023 elections.
“After a brief hiatus after the elections, they have now increased the speed. Some deal has been made with a reputed builder and the destruction of trees and hillocks has been going on for several days now,” informed a resident of nearby Sainikpuri.
Published – 30 May 2026 09:31 IST