Hyderabad, Jan. 14 -- As a city filled with artefacts of immense historical importance,the authorities seem to have little interest in preserving them in Hyderabad. For instance, a big cannon dating back to the Qutb Shahi era is has been literally lying in the dumps in Aliabad in Old City, in the midst of garbage and parked vehicles.

The cannon was part of the fortification of Hyderabad city. "It has been lying here for several years now. Neither the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) nor any other agency visits the place and shifts it to a safer place," said Mohd Yousuf, a local resident who stays near Mumtaz Cafe located close by.

"If it is not shifted to a secure place, then we fear that some people will steal it," said a...