80% MOHENJODARO NEGLECTED DUE TO GOV'T NEGLIGENCE

Mohenjo Daro’s historical ruins are fast losing their originality due to climate change, rains, water-logging and salinity as the site’s bricks, which are thousands of years old, are decaying day by day. According to a PPI survey, only 20 per cent bricks are safe at the moment and 80 per cent have been damaged due to lack of interest of the Sindh government.

Despite the fact that new bricks were used by the artisans by replacing old ones but even then, neither basic work has been done on a permanent basis nor annual works have been carried out to safeguard this treasure which is cherished globally.

According to experts, work must continue around the year to conserve the heritage but since last six months, it has been stopped for want of funds. Mud slurry has not yet been carried out and no work has been done since the past 30 years on walls due to which cracks have started developing in these ancient walls and many walls have been given support.

About 500 walls of the monuments have lost the originality and out of 700 wells, only 10 are available at the moment. The international experts had advised cheap local measures to protect the ruins from damage but the Sindh government has constantly shown non-serious attitude to save the historical ruins from collapse.

Several international seminars and workshops have also proved to be useless for the preservation of these monuments of Indus Civilization which has so far attracted thousands of foreign tourists who have visited this unique site. A dry core drilling work report has also been submitted to the government but the demarcation of the site is still awaited.

Mohenjo Daro could be saved with local expertise, which includes mud, water and labor. “If work is carried out, 12 months of a year and sanctioned funds are utilized properly then there would be no harm to the monuments,” he said. Proper drainage system must be built to save the monuments, adding that workshops were not needed as only practical works could ensure conservation for which local people should be recruited and trained properly.