LARKANA, May 10: The federal government has approved Rs35 million for the first phase of the Master Plan for Rehabilitation and Cultural Tourism (MPRCT) at Moenjodaro.

Sources told Dawn here on Wednesday that the government had released Rs500,000 of the allocation for the five-year phase.

Under the plan, a study will be conducted to determine causes of deterioration of the site as foreign consultants and local archaeologists differred on reasons of decay of the relics.

Foreign consultants associated with the International Council of Monuments and Sites and local archaeologists involved in conservation of the ruins will jointly carry out the study.

The experts would establish whether the atmosphere or the salts caused deterioration of the site, the sources said.

They said the experts would evolve methodologies to erect 314 bending walls in different areas of Moenjodaro.

When contacted, archaeologist Ali Haider told Dawn that a ‘storm drainage plan’ would also be included in the plan.

Managers of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architect, being part of the MPRCT, would design a museum, crafts centre, laboratory and a bookshop under one roof, he said.

The sources said the department of archaeology had started preparing the second phase of the MPRCT, which would include road diversions and construction of a 5.5-foot wall around the site.

They added that the site would be illuminated so that visitors could take a round of the ruins during night time.

Sindh culture and tourism secretary Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, who is also the chairperson of the MPRCT, presided over a meeting at the site on Tuesday and approved starting pre-monsoon measures.

The meeting was told that the Sindh government was ready to take over 129 archaeological sites in the province in the wake of decentralisation of the department in the next financial year and the finance department had sanctioned posts required to run the department.

Those who attended the meeting included Rabia Javeri Agha, additional secretary for culture, Noorjehan Bilgrami, head of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architect, Qasim Ali Qasim, director, southern region, department of archaeology and the project director of the MPRCT.

water share: The Sindh Abadgar Board has demanded that the government should provide water to Sindh in accordance with the water apportionment accord of 1991.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, SAB central vice-president Gada Hussain Mahisar said that battered law and order situation coupled with an acute water shortage had inflicted devastating impact on Sindh’s agriculture.

He said that the Indus River that once had been irrigating a vast area in Sindh began drying amid bleak attention of the government which had forced people to switch over to other jobs.

He said that non-availability of modern methodologies cast retrogressive effect on the rice industry and uncontrolled rise in oil and gas prices had virtually pauperised the farmers of Sindh.

Mr Mahisar said that unregulated sell of unregistered fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides continue to destroy crop productivity while the rulers were busy beating drums of massive enhancement in production which he termed was nothing but tall and hollow claims.

He said that multinational companies were out to sell substandard hybrid seeds of sunflower at higher rates varying between Rs500 to 600 per 40kg that had yielded 25 per cent to 30 per cent less production.

He regretted that the government remained unmoved over marketing of low-grade seeds that had affected the overall production.

Mr Mahisar said that how could the people of Sindh believe Gen Musharraf’s words about the availability of more water in Sindh after the construction of big dams when Sindh had not been receiving its share of water from the existing dams.

He called upon Gen Musharraf to ensure water share according to the 1991 accord and save Sindh’s agriculture from further ruining.

He said that all calls to correct and improve the dying agriculture in the country had perhaps landed on deaf ears of the rulers.

He said that the chairman of the Agriculture Price Commission was opposing to approve the support price paddy at Rs380 per 40kg though the federal minister for agriculture was ready taking considerate view of the demand and had agreed for Rs320 per 40kg of paddy.