HYDERABAD, Nov 2: The Nagarparkar police have refused to intervene in the construction of a small dam near an historical archaeological site of Bhodesar Masjid and a Jain temple in Tharparkar district despite a formal request by the archaeology department officials for registration of an FIR against the project director and other officials of the small dam project.

Official sources said that the Irrigation department was building a dam that is quite close to the protected sites of Bhodesar Masjid and Jain temple.

During the excavation work Irrigation staff department have demolished the “Sati stone” — a protected stone — although the archaeological officials have brought the matter into the knowledge of Irrigation department.

In response to the communication, an official of Irrigation department associated with the project had met the deputy director archaeology office Hyderabad region and wanted to know about the threat faced by the archaeology site.

He was informed about the threat and he promised to inform the higher authorities in this regard. However, the next day during the excavation work the “Sati stone” was demolished.

Sindh Director Archaeology Qasim Ali Qasim told Dawn that he had ordered his staff to lodge an FIR against the staff and project director of the Irrigation department.

The Hyderabad’s deputy director Mazhar Mirani had met the SHO police station Nagarparkar in Tharparkar district — home district of Sindh chief minister — with a request to lodge the FIR but police avoided recording his statement under Section 154 CrPC. He had informed his director in Karachi about the refusal of police to register the criminal case for violation of Sections 18, 19, 20 of Antiquity Act 1975.

Mr Mirani has also written a letter to DCO Mithi, seeking his intervention in the matter. “The DCO has been informed that once the dam is built it will badly affect Bhodesar Masjid and Jain temple due to seepage of water,” said a source.

All DCOs of the country were taking prompt action for removal of encroachment in the surroundings of archaeological sites following a suo motu directive by the apex court in August.

The Chief Justice Mr Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had directed chief secretaries of all the four provinces to ensure that all encroachments around protected and archaeological sites are removed. Action is being taken throughout the country to comply with the directives of the Supreme Court as it will hear the case on Nov 6.