THATTA, June 22: The historic graveyard of Makli, which has been declared a world heritage site by Unesco, is losing its attraction due to the negligence of the archaeology department, the Sindh Tourism Development Corporation and the Thatta district government, according to a survey by this correspondent.

The survey reveals that fading charm of this fascinating site is due to poor maintenance and non-existent facilities like potable water, public lavatories and boarding/lodging facilities. Another hurdle is the permanently locked doors of some mausoleums.

Lack of security, roaming of vagabonds and stray dogs and absence of greenery are causes of decline in the number of visitors. There are no parks or tress in the area and the dilapidated and permanently locked mausoleums leave visitors high and dry.The carved stones of tombs are being frequently stolen while the authorities fail in getting hold of culprits. There is no hidden mystery to the fact that the stones engraved with Quranic verses and Persian poetry have been removed from Makli cemetery and decorated in the drawing rooms of some posh villas and bungalows.

The Archaeology Department prepared a plan for conservation of Makli monuments at a cost of Rs1.827 billion some 20 years ago. Funds were approved for the project but it could not materialise due to unknown reasons.

Renovation work on the centuries-old mausoleum of Mirza Essa Khan Tarkhan was taken up in 1980 but was not completed. However, during the work, the site was closed for visitors and ironically it remains closed till date except for VIPs.

Similar is the fate of other tombs like mausoleum of Jan Baba, father of Essa Khan Tarkhan, and Jam Nizamuddin alias Jam Nindo.

Makli necropolis is stretched over 932 acres of hills with a covered area of seven square miles. Gradual neglect of the site has made land mafia more active in the area.