AHMEDABAD | Apr 29, 2015: Illegal sand and mud mining is rampantly taking place close to the once magnificent garden called Fatehwadi that was built by famous sufi poet Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan, one of the Navratnas of emperor Akbar.
Illegal mining has also shaken the foundation of the already dilapidated Fatehwadi that is barely four kilometres from Sarkhej Roza. Fatehwadi has witnessed massive vandalism and neglect over the years. Sabarmati River, which took a sharp bend in front of the ancient site, is now almost dried up and has become the site of illegal mining over the past few years.
Villagers allege that illegal mining continues throughout the day. Seven to 10 tractors are engaged in transportation. By 5pm, minimum 15 loads of sand and mud are transported from the place. One load of truck is sold for around Rs 2,500 in black market.
The banks of the river have got severely damaged and this has also led to the deepening of the river bed due to the constant haphazard extraction of sand and mud. Locals said several old trees have collapsed due to soil erosion along the banks.
When contacted, Ahmedabad collector Rajkumar Beniwal said: "Thanks for bringing the issue to my notice. I will get this investigated by a sub-divisional magistrate and initiate stringent action against the accused."
Rahim had built Fatehwadi to mark his victory over Gujarat. He conquered Ahmedabad and governed much of what is present day Gujarat for more than a decade after defeating Gujarat sultan Muzaffar Shah III — between 1583 and 1592 AD. Fatehwadi ruins have been under threat for more than 50 years. But, the structure is neither on the heritage list of Archaeological Survey of India nor Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)