UMERKOT, Aug 29: The Endowment Fund Trust for Preservation of the Heritage of Sindh plans to rehabilitate the historical Talpur-era Naukot fort, which suffered damage during recent heavy rains, and convert its dungeon and built-in cells into a museum. The trust proposed that the museum be named “Thar Museum”.

Mohanlal S. Ochani, project director of the trust, told Dawn that the 200-year-old fort in Tharparkar district suffered a major damage in the heavy rains.

The rains also damaged other historical forts in Thar desert.

He said the trust sent a team with him as its head to the fort on Aug 16 to assess the damage and suggest corrective measures.The team found that the rainwater had penetrated into the body of fortification and bastions from the masonry top, severely eroded rammed earth within, and caused two to six feet deep incisions all over the top of fortification and the bastions, he said.

The fort, about three kilometres from Naukot town, lies on the edge of Thar. Spread over an area of about 3.55 acres, it was constructed by Mir Karam Ali Khan Talpur in 1814. The fort is a protected monument under rules of the Sindh Culture Department.

Mr Ochani said the erosion of earth core and deep ditches on top of fortification and bastions threatened the fort’s structure and saturation and swelling of earth core caused damage to inner brick lining of the fortification in the form of cracks in masonry, leakage, bulging, partial collapse and loss of stiffness.

The rains also ruined barracks, dungeon and other structures of the fort. The rainwater accumulated inside the fort to a depth of about six inches because of blockage of original storm water drainage outlets, which inundated and weakened the already damaged barracks and dungeon structure, said Mr Ochani.

The fort, he said, needed repair to avoid further damage as rammed earth, known as cob or pisé or khesht, was more difficult to repair than mud brick because the material was homogeneous.

Mr Ochani said the trust’s aim should not be limited only to safeguard the fort for posterity but also to realise the potential of this rich cultural heritage and share it with all people.

He proposed adaptive reuse of barracks, dungeon and built-in cells and advised to put to some use all spaces available at the fort so that cultural significance and historicity of the place was maintained. The dungeon and built-in cells were proposed to be converted into a museum to be called “Thar Museum”, he said.

With the establishment of the museum, Mr Ochani said, the fort would come into public realm and a link would be established between the past and the future.

He said the trust had proposed installation of facilities for visitors outside the fort like water supply, drainage and toilets.Snack bar, lounge and souvenir shops were also required to be set up at the place as part of visitors’ facilities, he said.

He said the fort precincts could play a socio-cultural role in the area. The vast open ground in front of the fort was proposed to be used for celebration of traditional festivals and events and thereby enriching local economy, he said.

Mr Ochani said the fort might also afford opportunities to local craftsmen to produce and sell their handicrafts which would also help revival of fading traditions of performing arts and crafts. He stressed the need for calling international archaeologists to visit heritage sites in Sindh, especially Naukot fort, where recent rains and floods had caused serious damage.