TAXILA: Due to lack of maintenance, a 17th century stepwell in Wah’s Sher Shah Park, locally known as Losar Baoli, is facing deterioration and the retaining wall to the west of the well has started to crumble.

The well was one of many constructed in the 17th century by the Mughals along the Grand Trunk Road to provide fresh drinking water to travellers. Such wells were constructed every three miles.

The wells were 100ft by 6ft and had a main entrance. Unlike the common method of pulling out water with a bucket tied to a pulley, these wells had stairs which had a platform at three different depths so that people could stop to fetch water at various levels.

The wells provided water to travellers and their horses.

The wells became obsolete with time and many do not exist now. One of the wells was included in the Sher Shah Park when it was established.

Quaid-i-Azam University Taxila Institute of Asia Civilisation’s former director Dr Mohammad Ashraf Khan said stepwells were first introduced by Ashoka in the third century BC in the region to facilitate pilgrims and travellers along highways.

He added that the route used to connect the Valley of Ganges with the northwest region of the subcontinent.

Dr Khan said such wells were constructed and maintained by the Mughals and that they were also used by their armies.

“These wells and inns were built to facilitate pilgrims, travellers and armies. Royal messengers and horse riders would stay and rest at Baolies and would replace their horses so they could deliver important letters. Sometimes, the riders were changed as well,” he said.

Officials of the Punjab Department of Archaeology told Dawn that one of the walls of the well collapsed in 1990 and was restored by the authorities.

However, the authorities concerned did not undertake maintenance work which led to the collapse of a major portion of the wall on the western side.

They said that the Punjab government released funds to the Punjab Department of Archaeology’s sub-regional office during the fiscal year 2016-17 for the restoration and the preservation of the site. However the funds lapsed as the department did not execute the project.

Department of Archaeology Deputy Director Irshad Hussain confirmed that the department had gotten funds for the maintenance of the site.

“The funds were not enough to pay for the preservation and restoration of the site so the project was shelved,” he told Dawn.

He added that a partial restoration would not address the issue and that the project will not be executed till the required funds are received.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019