Saving our heritage: WCLA gets Rs20 million to restore old buildings

Funds to be spent on restoring 72 buildings

LAHORE: The Punjab Finance Department has issued Rs20 million to the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) for preservation and restoration of heritage sites in the old city. The WCLA has prepared a list of around 72 buildings in need of preservation on an urgent basis.

WCLA spokesperson Tania Qureshi said that the amount was released for the current fiscal year (FY 2015-16). “The funds will help speed up the pace of restoration work. The authority has already initiated restoration work on 72 buildings,” she said.

She said the authority had also compiled a database of domestic and commercial buildings to be restored and preserved in the next phase. “There are several more buildings in the Walled City that have historic significance. However, their owners do not understand the importance [of these buildings]. Most people have limited or no money to spend on repair and maintenance of these buildings,” she said.

She said the WCLA was working for restoration and preservation of historical buildings in the Walled City. “The authority has partnered with local leaders to make these efforts sustainable,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2015.