|
|
|
| October 13, 2006 | Friday | Ramazan 19, 1427 |
Work on Shalamar, Fort restoration resumes
LAHORE, Oct 12: Work on the restoration of the Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens has eventually been resumed on the orders of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, it is learnt.
The Parks and Horticulture Authority had abandoned the project on Sept 1 last without informing the Punjab government.
Official sources told Dawn that the chief minister had taken a serious notice of PHA’s sudden pullout and directed its new head to carry out the work to the satisfaction of the provincial archaeology department.
They said the PHA had been given 30 days to plant certain saplings, replace grass of different areas with the one recommended by experts, remove debris and improve overall condition of lawns of the Shalamar Gardens.
“After completing the work the PHA staff will remain at the disposal of the archaeology department for at least three months to carry out any assignment asked by the latter,” the added.
Archaeology Department director-general Orya Maqbool Jan told this reporter that the department had never been satisfied with the PHA work since the launch of over Rs36 million project in 2004-05 fiscal.
He said the department had spent $50,000 and engaged 18 experts for the preparation of a study regarding the restoration of both monuments but the authority was least bothered to execute the project on its lines.
Mr Jan said the department’s main concern was the growth of the grass in Shalamar Gardens. “We want the Mughal period soil to be dug for the growth of grass but the PHA was totally averse to the proposal.”
Under the contract, the PHA was supposed to restore and maintain the lawns of the Shalamar Gardens and Lahore Fort, measuring 38 and 25 acres, respectively.
The restoration and maintenance included scrapping of four inches dead surface of the lawns, irrigation system, removal of debris, supply of canal silt, purchase of pesticides, urea, DAP, grass, seasonal flower seeds and earthen pots.
Even at times when the contract was being awarded to the PHA, the document did not bear the signatures of the archeology department DG. Similarly, several archaeologists had also questioned the authority’s expertise in this regard.
The two monuments, on the Unesco’s World Heritage List, were given under the administrative control of the Punjab government in July 2004.
A source in the information department said that former PHA DG Shabbir Ahmed was apparently shown the door after the authority’s inability to carry out the project properly. —Zulqernain Tahir
|
|
|
|
