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Ms
Frauke Quader
The German Lady who has rocked Hyderabad
Hyderabad: Rocks are some of the oldest units of the
world. Around the city, the rocks make a fascinating landscape. They have numerous shapes and
sizes. Some of the rocks at the Durgam Cheruvu in Jubilee Hills are so delicately poised that
one fears that they might fall anytime. But they won't. They have weathered
physical and chemical action of nature for millions of years. These rocks
have fascinated lot of visitors to the City. But now these rocks are under
severe threat as many of them are being blasted away for construction activities and the lone lady who is on a crusade for preservation of these
rock formation is a German lady who has been spearheading a kind of
rock revival revolution in the city since long.
It was in 1996 that a Society to save Rocks was initiated by Ms Frauke Quader.A moment has indeed started now to save and preserve the remaining rocks
Quader, who has made Hyderabad her home, developed an interest in rock formations while with the German Foreign Office in
Bonn. Brussels and in New Delhi. Quader moved into the city with her
Hyderabadi husband,an engineer-turned-homoeopath, back in 1975.The success of this environmental
protection group is largely due to its awareness campaigns. Rock walks are
organized frequently and rock excursions are arranged for school students.
Yet the activists could do little to prevent the quarrying and destruction
till recently, when with the help of a few civil servants among them they got
HUDA to put some sites on its protected list.
Over the tears because of destruction of these rocks many such lakes have
diappeared.For example there was a lake at the corner of Road No 1 of Banjara
Hills.Similiarly,Masab Tank was, as the name implies, a lake. But now
there are no lakes in sight in that area.
Till two decades ago, the Durgam Cheruvu in Jubilee Hills used to be called
the 'Secret Lake' because it was hidden from the common view. Now it is
threatened by construction. The same is the case with the Dargah Shah Hussain
Wali Cheruvu.There are other instances too.
In Banjara Hills the rocks were blasted recklessly. Now there is hardly any
unbuilt piece of land left in Banjara Hills. Large- scale blasting and cutting
of rocks have upset the ecology of the area. Many lakes have been filled
up. Others have dried up. In the Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills area alone about half a
dozen lakes have disappeared. The temperature, which used to be distinctly lower
in Banjara Hills area, matches that of the city. |
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Reachout has compiled these facts to enlighten the readers about the sorry state of
affairs with the city's ecology and it is against this background that the efforts
of this German lady has to be truly appreciated. Reachout lauds the movement of Ms
Frauke Quader and are sure that the her Society To Save Rocks would help Hyderabad
to have its last existing set of rocks intact for future generations to see and
appreciate the glory of this walled city.
-Maju Kuriakose
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