Heavy rains with thunderstorm and gushing winds are expected during current monsoon season, however, the destiny of the 260 families whose houses are located along with wall of Pucca Qila Hyderabad remained in doldrums as no step has so far been taken to shift them to safer places from the officially declared dangerous locality.
The houses of these 260 families are built along the fort wall and the deteriorating sewerage system no only weaken the foundations of their houses but also caused severe damaged south west location of the fort. The stakeholders responsible in preserving the historical place of Hyderabad City built by ruler Ghulam Shah Kalhora failed to maintain the structure causing collapse of some portions of the fort wall in the past.
On the directives of the than President of Pakistan, a feasibility report was made by previous District Government including the shifting of the residents of those, whose houses are built around the wall, removal of encroachments and the repair of damaged portions of the wall.
The District Nazim Hyderabad Kanwar Naveed Jamil told APP that though the preservation of heritage and historical places is the responsibility of the Archaeological Department, however, the present District Government has initiated some steps within its limited resources.
About destiny of Pucca Qila, the District Nazim informed that before the present District Government, the than federal government had decided to shift the residents of 260 families, who were settled along the fort wall with objective to preserve the fort from destruction from sewage of these residents. In this direction, a plan with Rs 50 million was prepared at that time for shifting of these families to vacant plots of Hyderabad Development Authority, the District Nazim said and added that no implementation was made due to which, the situation of Pucca Qila is going to worst.
He informed that the present District Government has requested Sindh Provincial Government to grant Rs 100 million for the said purpose as the cost of construction of accommodation of these 260 families of Pucca Qila has been increased. Haq Parast MNA Salahuddin has also requested to Prime Minister for the said purpose and it is learnt that the Federal Government has allocated Rs 50 million in this respect, he said.
Within its limited resources, the Kanwar Naveed Jamil said that the District Government has consulted with the experts including Dean Faculty of Arts University of Sindh Muhammad Ali Bhatti for temporary repair of the damaged portion of the fort in front of Hyderabad Railway Station. The District Government has also persuaded to Sindh Local Government Department for grant of some allocations so that the residents of 260 families, whose live are on stack could be shifted to alternate place, he said.