LARKANA: Work on the restoration of the 18th century tomb of Shahbaharo, a general in the army of Sindh ruler Mian Noor Mohammad Kalhoro, has resumed after a brief pause, says Dr Ishtiaque Ansari, regional coordinator of the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT) for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh.

“As the structure was gradually deteriorating and cracks were developing in the tomb and its walls we opted to seek technical support of experts to minimise the risk factor,” said Dr Ansari while talking to Dawn over the phone on Monday.

The EFT, an autonomous non-profit organisation, has undertaken the gigantic task of restoring the tomb of Shahbaharo who fought and remained undefeated in 48 battles during the Kalhoro period.

He restored peace to Larkana when Mian Noor Mohammad (r 1719-1753) appointed him administrator of the area, said Jamil Gaad, president of Sorat Saqafati Sangat which regularly celebrates the birth and death anniversaries of the general.

In recognition of his invaluable service for the state, Ghulam Shah Kalhoro (d1772) had the tomb of the valiant general built in 1772, he said.

Dr Ansari said that a two-member Lahore-based team of experts was contacted to help the EFT team in safely carrying out the restoration work by diminishing chances of damage to the feeble structure.

When the EFT team embarked upon the work on the tomb that stood in a graveyard near Jiles Bazaar, some land-grabbers threatened it to stop the work but timely intervention by the district administration thwarted their attempts, he said.

He said the experts’ team was expected to arrive from Lahore after a month. The cracks in the tomb widened while descending from the top to the foundation and even to the windows, which was a different phenomenon and demanded delicacy and expertise, he said.

Meeral Abro of the EFT who supervises the work said that underpinning work, as suggested by experts, was in progress. “We are moving brick by brick to save the structure,” he said.

Specially designed salt-resistant bricks prepared at a kiln in Gairelo village, 50 kilometres from the tomb, which had been tested by a scientific laboratory at Moenjodaro, were being used in the restoration work, he said, adding that it would take two years to complete the task.

He said the old unscientific work done by the then district government had caused considerable damage to the foundation and the platform of the tomb.

Critical of the culture department’s negligence, Jamil Gaad called for finishing the job at the earliest and appreciated the efforts of EFT for undertaking the gigantic task to preserve Sindh’s heritage. He also called for providing security to workforce engaged in the restoration work.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2016