Unesco proposes to submit an application to Getty Foundation early next year to request funds for the conservation of Shahi Hamaam, training and capacity-building would be a vital component of the proposal.
Unesco director Jorge Seqveira disclosed this at a seminar on Shalamar Gardens here on Saturday. The seminar was arranged to share conservation plan for the famous Mughal garden, which was participated by government officials, NGOs, experts, scholars and researchers before applying for funds from the Getty Foundation.
The director maintained that they had requested funds from the Getty Foundation to carry out baseline surveys at the Shalamar Gardens, which would help the conservation process in the implementation phase. Moreover, it would also serve as a valuable source of information for the Punjab government during its work at the Gardens, he added.
According to him, they have decided to engage the same team for the studies in Shalamar Gardens, with a few additions in the fields of hydraulics, botanical studies and landscape, which had successfully worked on the Lahore Fort project.
He was happy with the efforts of both the Federal and Punjab governments for protecting the country's heritage sites, especially the sites declared as world heritage.
"After declaration of the Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens 'World Heritage in Danger' in 1999, there has been great concern for its conservation. However, the Unesco has successfully managed to conserve it," he added.
Jorge averred that provision of funds from the Norwegian government has helped in stabilising the famous Shish Mahal ceiling and a master plan for the conservation of the Lahore Fort has also been developed. "The conservation project took off in March 2003 and would be concluded in October 2006," he added.