The sites of Indus Valley Civilization mostly fell under Pakistan following the Partition of India but governments in Islamabad seldom paid attention towards their upkeep and restoration
Rains and floods in Sindh Province are now threatening the region’s most iconic features – the remains of the Indus Valley Civilization.
The lack of attention has led to more damages to the ancient ruins and the governments in Pakistan were not interested in restoring these sites. Now Pakistan’s record-breaking floods have dealt a heavy blow to the restoration efforts.
Workers in Sindh’s Mound of the Dead, which is one of Mohenjodaro’s most iconic features, were covered in tarpaulin. The Shah Baharo and Tajjar buildings (as they are known in Pakistan) are covered in rain water overflowing from drainage and sewage lines from Larkana.
Ranikot Sindh after heavy rains and flood waters from Balochistan. pic.twitter.com/GmRU9J8Qm7
— Mir Saarang Soomro (@SaarangSoomro) August 21, 2022
The ancient grave also has been impacted due to the floods. Six graves from the site have disappeared in the rains and floods.
A report by Dawn said that the Buddhist stupa at Thul Mir Rukan which was built between 6th to 11th century CE also sustained damages due to the rain.
Kot Diji, which lies on the east bank of the Indus, is an ancient site that has records of human habitation dating back to 3300 BCE. Considered a forerunner of the Indus Valley Civilization, Kot Diji has a citadel on high ground and remnants of houses from those times nearby the citadel. The artefacts and the structures themselves sustained damages due to the rain. Kot Diji’s citadel walls have collapsed due to the floods.
The walls of Rani Kot, which is believed to be the world’s largest fort, also sustained damages. According to historians and archaeologists, the fort may have been built over a long period of time during the successive regimes of the Sassanians, the Scythians, the Parthians or the Bactrian Greeks and then by the Talpur dynasty.
The walls of the Ranikot fort have also sustained heavy damages due to the flooding. Hamid Akhund, secretary of the Endowment Fund Trust (EFT) for the Preservation of Heritage of Sindh, said no heritage site is left in Sindh which is intact.
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