LARKANA: The work on conservation, preservation and restoration of the rain-damaged ruins of Mohenjo Daro undertaken in the wake of 2022 downpour has not been finished yet while another monsoon season is set to bring rains upon the World Heritage Site.

Architect Naveed Sangah told Dawn at the site that the three-pronged work was started at the HR area where the 2022 rains had damaged structures. Over a dozen walls had fallen and four wells had suffered damage eroded, he said.

Prof Ghluam Mustafa Shar, senior archaeologist and member of Technical Consultative Committee (TCC) of the National Fund for Mohenjo Daro (NFM), was supervising the overall work, he said.

He said that it was a joint venture of the NFM and the Directorate General of Antiquities and Archaeology that was put in operation at a cost of Rs20 million. It would be completed in July 2025, he said, adding the task spread over a year’s time limit.

To stop further damage and decay with underpinning technique the bludgeoned walls were treated and works on wall-topping, flooring and pointing with mud-layers were being done coupled with applying mud-slurry, he said.

But the question still remained that would this mud-layer on baked-brick walls withstand the onslaught of weather and the expected rains along with continued rise in temperature, he said.

The mud-capping of the structures was almost washed away during 2022 rains along with the damage caused to other structures which had prompted the department of archaeology and the NFM to undertake the conservation of the affected ruins with the idea of saving them from the monsoon season’s effects in future, he said.

Sources said that many of the walls were completely damaged and they were being rebuilt under new treatment after applying scientifically tested mud and bricks.

Work to be started on new proposal

Ihsan Abbasi, curator of Mohenjo Daro, disclosed to Dawn that a new Rs30 million proposal floated by the department in consultation with the TCC focused on conservation of the structures had been accepted and approved.

Experts had pinpointed the heavy damage caused to the old ruins during the massive rains in Munir Area, V.S area and certain portions in D.K South. Not only the proposal was okayed in view of the vast damage but TCC’s three members, Dr Ghulam Mustafa Shar, Dr Altaf Assem and Dr Qasid Hussain Malah, were also nominated to supervise the preservation; conservation and restoration work in the above areas, said the sources.

Hopefully, the work on the new proposal would start from the new fiscal year.

When the officials posted at Mohenjo Daro site asked why the department preferred to complete the restoration work at a time when the monsoon was hovering above them and heavy rains could undo their work besides causing further damage to the structures, they were told that pre-monsoon measures had already been put in place, said the sources, adding they were confident that such measures would certainly work.

Progress on Mohenjo Daro Master Plan

The sources at the site said that the Sindh government had approved a Master Plan for Mohenjo Daro thanks to dedicated efforts of Sindh Minister for Culture Syed Zulfikar Ali Shah.

The plan was mentioned in the provincial budget for 2025-26 and a handsome amount of Rs541 million was earmarked to update the facilities at the site to not only attract foreign tourists but also provide necessary facilities to experts, researchers and foreigners interested in visiting the Indus Valley civilization’s site and undertaking research work to further explore the ruins, said the sources.

They said the budget was approved while the PC-I was in the final stages of approval. As soon as the PC-I was finalised the amount kept for it would be released to start work on a multi-pronged plan, said the sources.

Under the plan, the gigantic site of Indus Valley would be provided express electricity line, construction of new hostel, motel, and canteen with focus on beautification of the site, said the sources.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2025