Years of hard work: Government restores British-era fire brigade building

Century-old engine also degreased, renovated and placed inside building

PESHAWAR: The portion of the British-era fire brigade building, which had collapsed a few years ago, was restored by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government after three years of slow work.

According to government officials, so far Rs12 million has been spent on the preservation of the structure. Also, after restoration, one of the oldest surviving fire engines in the world appears as new as when it was first built and has been placed inside the building after almost a century.

In the pipeline

The rehabilitation of the building was on the cards for several years and the provincial government, in 2012, announced Rs15 million for the project. However, it could not materialise on time and the building also suffered further damage due to earthquakes. Lack of timely preservation caused the top floor and the boundary wall to collapse.

“The archaeological restoration is very technical and usually takes time,” K-P Direcorate of Archaeology and Museums Director Abdul Samad told The Express Tribune.

He said bricks have been brought from a kiln in Hasan Abdal, Punjab and technically trained workers, who were not available locally, were brought in. “Work on the other damaged parts of the complex is also under way,” he said.

Samad added they have made all efforts to maintain the originality in the construction and used materials which were used in the original structure. However, the top part of the structure has been left out since the weak base could not afford to bear its load over time.

Diligence at work

Two fire engines that still exist at the building, made by Merryweather & Sons—one of the oldest companies of Europe to make fire engines—were brought to the city by the British government. One of the engines was manufactured in 1918 and the other in 1921. However, both of them were lying in the open ground since its restoration in January 2014.

The engines were restored in January 2014 at a cost of Rs25 million and were now parked inside the halls of the building.

Talking to Express News, Mohsin Ikram of the Vintage & Classic Car Club of Pakistan, who led the team that renovated the fire engine, said the engine was 98 years old and reveals the concrete construction of a bygone era.

He said they degreased the engine with petrol and then washed it with surf. Finally, caustic soda was applied to remove all dirt and give it finesse.

“We have worked hard at this and hopefully, the engine will not rust for at least another 40 years,” Ikram said.

Historical backdrop

The fire brigade built by the British is situated at the Gor Gathri archaeological complex on the eastern part of the old walled city near Gunj Gate. It is surrounded by a 17th century temple and 16th century inns. According to historians, the complex dates back to the 3rd century BC, but the present structure represents the Mughal, Sikh and British architecture.

When Peshawar came under British rule, Gor Gathri was utilised as a fire brigade centre and the first building in the region was erected within the complex in 1912. The purpose of the building was to help the city cope with natural calamities caused by fire.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2016.