FAISALABAD, Dec 8: The district administration has given a beautiful look to the historical building of the District Council and restored the stalled waterfall at Abdullahpur after more than five years.

The administration has decided to preserve the heritage of Faisalabad in collaboration with the local philanthropists. A body, called Lyallpur Heritage Committee, has also been constituted for renovation and preservation of historical buildings.

The District Council building, formerly known as the Town Hall, was built between 1910 and 1915. A blend of Sikh and British architecture, it was designed by Bhai Ram Singh.

The area in front of the building, known as District Council Chowk, is considered an important point for the political gatherings and protests as well. The lawyers, businessmen, workers and commoners have been using the spot for the last many years to press for their demands as the district courts and the DCO’s office are situated nearby with the offices of the RPO and CPO just a few meters away.

The building had been in use for the sessions of 289 rural and urban union councils of Faisalabad. However, after the termination of the Musharaff-era local government, the present district government did not bother to look after the building and it started giving a look of a haunted place. Now when the local government elections are around the corner the building is in the limelight, once again.

All the shops illegally constructed at the entrance to the building have been demolished by the district administration and three prominent windows of the building on its front have also been beautified. Earlier, the windows were shut with bricks, damaging the beauty of the building.

Khadim Hussain, a citizen taking pictures of the building at night, said the eye-catching illuminations of the structure had forced him to stop his vehicle to take a close look. He said just like the District Council building and the waterfall, the district government should focus on other historical sites as well.

DCO Noorul Ameen Mengal, the force behind renovation of both the district council building and the waterfall, told Dawn the waterfall was stalled for last seven years because nobody was ready to own it.

He said the waterfall had been constructed by a textile mills. Nothing was being done to preserve the historical District Council building, he said, adding that the building had been painted with the help of local traders and lights had been installed to make the structure look beautiful.

Some experts from Lahore were also in contact with the district government to design lights for the building, the DCO informed.

The Faisalabad Development Trust (FDT), an entity comprising industrialists and the government officials, would take the responsibility for beautification of the city, the DCO said.

Umer Nazar Shah, a trustee of the FDT, told Dawn that they would beautify different areas of the city in collaboration with the district administration. He said preparations were underway for beautification of various other spots.