LAHORE: Due to the sluggishness of the Punjab Archaeology Department, the conservation and development work of the historic ‘Fort Nandna’ of the tenth century has been delayed, Pakistan Today learnt.
According to the details, the fort with the temple inside was decaying and a project was designed to provide immediate attention to preserve it and provide public facilities for the promotion of tourism.
For the purpose, the Tourism Department, Punjab, has initiated a project of the rehabilitation of the fort and fixed an amount of RS 14.881 million for the conservation of the fort.
The restoration and conservation work was to be carried out by the Directorate General Archaeology Punjab, however, the work was started in May 2021 and it was planned that the work would be completed in 18 months.
It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated a heritage highway in Jhelum district in March last year, starting from Nandna fort, passing through Shiva temple, Tala Jogiyan, Khiwara mines, Qila Mulut and Takht Babri in Kalar Kahar.
It is said that famous Muslim scholar Al-Biruni had measured the diameter of the earth while sitting in the fort of Nandna about a thousand years ago and this measurement was so accurate that it has same measurement even today with the latest instruments and there is only a difference of 16.8 km between this and Al-Biruni’s measurement.
The fort is located 12 miles east of Choasaidan Shah. Constructed in the 10th century AD with a total area of 45 kanals and 16 marlas, the fort is led inside through a narrow rocky path from Choasaidan Shah to the ruins of Fort Nandna, which is 1500 feet high. In the 13th century, Jalaluddin Khawarizmi had captured Nandna fort. Later, Genghis Khan defeated the Khwarizmi forces at this place.
However, the directorate general monitoring and evaluation has issued a monitoring report regarding the conservation of the fort and expressed its reservations over the project.
The report stated that the work was started on the project site in May 2021 and it was running behind schedule.
“During FY 2020-21, Rs12 million were released against an allocated amount of Rs6 million, which is a discrepancy. The mentioned discrepancy may be justified by the department. The foundation of one out of eight gazebos was laid down and masonry work of the ground floor of Al-Biruni research center was in progress.
The conservation works for the temple have not started yet and a tender opening for work award will likely be held on on 18th January, 2022,” report stated.
Imran Zahid, Sub-Divisional Officer, Directorate General of Archaeology, informed Pakistan Today that there was no financial constraint on the project.
“However, the contractor who was overseeing the project died in a road accident. Instead of re-tendering it, we gave his widow a certificate and it took two to three months. We received the PC-I approval and administrative approval for this project in May last year and we had only one month to start work here”.
“That’s why we called for funds for Rs 12 million whereas the conservation work has begun on the temple inside the fort. We completed the excavation work here in June-July last year and since then the restoration work has started,” he maintained.
