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KARACHI, Aug 3: The federal archaeology department has objected to the allotment of at least eight out of 68.15 acres adjacent to the historic Chawkandi graveyard in Bin Qasim Town to a private firm for the purpose of establishing an industrial estate around it, Dawn has reliably learnt.
Sources said the southern circle of the archaeology department has written a letter to the Sindh chief secretary in which it showed its concern over the allotment of the land for industrial purposes and demanded the cancellation of at least eight acres of the land.
This land, sources said, was allotted in violation of the Antiquities Act 1975, which prohibits any residential or industrial construction within 200 feet from the archaeological site.
The archaeology department authorities said in the letter that the allotment had threatened the very existence of the historic tombs and asked that a piece of land be given to the department for proper upkeep and maintenance of the protected site.
The establishment of an industrial estate around the necropolis, it said, would mar the view of the site from the outside, while damage from the pollutants and harmful substances would be unavoidable due to industrial activity.
The letter said the tombs were already facing damage due to pollutants coming from coal warehouses located in the proximity of the graveyard.
Sources said the archaeology department had planned for open landscaping on those eight acres before the controversial allotment.
The Sindh government’s land utilisation department had allotted 68.15 acres in Deh Kantho of Bin Qasim Town to a private firm, M/S Precious Industrial Park, and the entry in the official record of rights (Village Form II) was made in September last year.
The allowing of industrial activity adjacent to a heritage site, which is very popular with Karachiites, elicited a great hue and cry, to the extent that the Bin Qasim Town Council passed a resolution unanimously denouncing industrial activity in the area in February.
Experts say whenever the tribal people established this graveyard (16th century onwards) they chose the ground which was high and at a vantage point, so it could be seen from all around. It rendered grace and majesty to the highly decorated or carved tombs.
“To deprive this historic place of its setting is against the heritage principles,” said an expert.
The tombs are made of very fine Gizri sandstone that fares badly against the industrial and automobile exhausts, and the resultant corrosion affects the calcareous stone and the relief/carved designs lose their strength and become dull, said an expert.
