‘Culture dept’s negligence led to Pucca Qila collapse’

The Hyderabad district administration has exposed the culpability of the officials of the Sindh culture, tourism, antiquities and archives department in the matter of the collapse of Pucca Qila's main gate and its structure. "Contrary to the established norms and standard protocols of restoration and conservation of historic sites, the work was being carried out in a highly unprofessional manner," reads a report submitted by Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Fuad Ghaffar Soomro to Commissioner Muhammad Abbass Baloch for onward submission to the provincial government.

"There was no expert or supervisor from the department to supervise the work on the day of the incident," states the report. The preservation work was being done in absence of archaeologists and conservators on the site.

The DC recommended that an independent committee of expert archaeologists and conservationists should be constituted to conduct 'an in-depth probe'. The committee should check the award of contract, expertise of the contractor and the whole execution of the project.

According to his report, apparently the antiquities department's contractor had employed labourers who were bereft of preservation skills. "[Contractor employed] even underage labourers for this job."

The report stated that the manner in which the purported preservation was being done appeared more like a demolition or dismantling activity. "Sledgehammers were used to dismantle the structure by untrained labourers while standing over the wall of the fort."

The report noted that the method adopted to conserve the historic structure went against the grain of archaeological restoration. "…the primary purpose of such an effort is to retain the original design, material and structure of the structure."

The report also pointed out that the department's officials and the contractor did not even bother to capture video or snaps of the work in progress. The DC also brought on record that the department's officials did not hold a meeting with the district administration, Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and the district police even though the fort is a densely populated area and thousands of people daily passed through the collapsed gate.

"Only one letter was sent to AC City taluka's office in a perfunctory manner stating that shopkeepers were disrupting their work," he wrote. The required assistance was immediately provided, he added.

The report also noted that the office of the antiquities department is located only around 150 feet away from the collapsed wall yet no effective monitoring of the project was being performed. "How such flagrant violations of conservation could go unnoticed and, most importantly, how can work on such a culturally significant site be carried out without any effective supervision or monitoring by the department?" he questioned. "It's tantamount to not less than criminal negligence on part of the officers responsible for supervision and monitoring."

In another report submitted by City taluka AC Muhammad Mutahar Wattoo it has been pointed out that not a single meeting was held with the local residents or the officials of the district administration, police and HMC prior to initiating the work. "No seminar was held to create awareness among the local residents and traders."

Wattoo acknowledged that he received letters on June 10 and August 12 from the department's in-charge for the fort, Sindhu Chandio, seeking help against the troubling shopkeepers who trade in reportedly illegally built shops outside the fort's walls. He, however, denied Chandio's claim that she also held a meeting with him over the issue. "This is purely fabricated as no such meeting was held."

The AC observed that the conservation work continued smoothly for more than a month until the gate's structure caved in. "The implied intent of the culture department to shift blame to the district administration…is purely an exercise to hide their own technical shortcomings and a lack of proper planning under the carpet."

Earlier, the contractor completed rehabilitation of the fort's walls near the station road and the administration helped in clearing the encroachment, he added.

Muhammad Sardar son of Muhammad Saeed in his statement submitted to the City AC informed that he witnessed start of the conservation before the onset of Muharram. "The labourers working on the walls appeared untrained and underage," he claimed.

Muhammad Tehseen Arain, another resident who claimed that his grandfather, who after migration from India established a shop outside the fort, also echoed the same concern of noticing untrained labourers who were only seen demolishing the structure. "I and other shopkeepers many times tried to make them understand that the way they were working will damage the historic place instead of preserving it. But, they never listened."

Some other residents and shopkeepers also made similar statements and complained that they never saw any expert or engineer supervising the works.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2021.