Preservation of flood-ravaged Moenjodaro underway

Deadly floods have wreaked havoc across Sindh, laying waste to entire towns, and the archaeological ruins of Moenjodaro are no exception, where substantial damage has occurred.

People familiar with the situation on the site told Geo News that several houses, alleyways, and sewerage nullahs of the historic place have been severely damaged due to the floods.

Major barrages on the Indus River have filled to capacity and are overflowing, leading to catastrophic flooding in the province. Several districts continue to be submerged in water even as rains have let up with rehabilitation a distant dream.

“The year 2022 brought with it the harsh reality of climate change for Pakistan,” the chief of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant-General Akhtar Nawaz has said.

The floods that have inundated a third of the country — affecting more than 33 million people — were preceded by four heatwaves and multiple raging forest fires, the NDMA chief said.

The death toll from rains and floods in the country has reached 1,290 since June 14, with 180 alone being killed in Sindh.

In response to the devastation at Moenjodaro, which is located on the right bank of the Indus River, Minister of Sindh for Education, Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities and Archives, Sardar Shah told Geo News that heavy rains have indeed caused damage to the historic site, but the government started the preservation works as soon as the rain stopped.

Shah said the preservation works are being done under the supervision of archaeological experts and in line with the standards of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

“The site has not been submerged and neither has it been completely destroyed. We will ensure that it is preserved at the earliest. This site is our asset,” he added.