Two million years of history at stake: Papamiya Tekdi and Bhatala sites threatened by mining and construction

Papamiya Tekdi, on the outskirts of Chandrapur, is one of the state’s most significant Stone Age sites. Documented since the late 1950s, it has yielded thousands of Acheulian (Lower Palaeolithic) hunting tools, providing evidence of early human activity dating back over 150,000 years.

Despite its historical importance, archaeologists warn that illegal mining and unregulated construction are eroding this prehistoric landscape, risking the permanent loss of invaluable heritage.

Bhatala village reveals a two-million-year-old human story

A similar concern has emerged at Bhatala village, about 80km from Nagpur. Researchers from Nagpur University say Bhatala forms part of a vast prehistoric landscape linked to early human activity along the Wainganga-Wardha river systems.


Field surveys have uncovered red quartzite tools, hand axes, cleavers, and scrapers, shedding light on how early humans lived, hunted, and moved across the region. Archaeologists stress that such sites are crucial for understanding India’s earliest inhabitants, whose origins, migration routes, and survival strategies remain largely unknown.

Development projects clash with conservation efforts

Papamiya Tekdi has seen several modern interventions: a government medical college and cancer hospital were approved in 2014, and construction continued even after new Stone Age tools were discovered in 2019, permanently altering the site’s prehistoric layers.

A prehistoric museum-cum-archaeological park, approved in 2018 on a four-acre plot, has not materialized, and the Rs 258-crore heritage revitalisation package announced in 2023 has yet to make an impact, according to independent researcher Amit Bhagat.

Signboards missing, site security lax

Archaeologists allege that signboards demarcating protected areas have been removed or defaced. A site visit revealed the boards were virtually blank. Following media reports, the state archaeology department conducted a survey and instructed district authorities to curb mining and trespassing. However, researchers claim violations persist.

At Bhatala, even a 10th-century temple listed by the Directorate of Archaeology and Museums faces risk, as the surrounding prehistoric deposits remain unfenced and poorly demarcated.

Authorities deny violations, archaeologists remain concerned

District officials maintain that mining and construction are taking place outside restricted areas. Warora tehsildar Yogesh Kautkar said no destructive activity was occurring within protected zones.

Archaeologists counter that once an area is recognised as prehistoric, any mining activity nearby can endanger the site and should be avoided altogether, calling for stricter enforcement and urgent conservation measures.

(With inputs from TOI)