GUJRAT: An official meeting has decided to take measures to check illegal expansion of residential area within the boundary of the historical Rohtas Fort, causing damage to the beauty and infrastructure of this world heritage site in Jhelum.

Official sources say the number of houses within the fort limits has been increasing sharply for the last few years.

Most of these new houses are being built by the families already residing inside on the fort premises, say an official.

He says in the past clashes occurred between the fort residents and the archeology department officials over such illegal encroachments.

He adds that the land grabbers enjoy political backing of some local lawmakers that makes it difficult for the authorities to take strict action against such elements.

The local authorities have, however, chalked out a plan to deal with these encroachments within the fort boundaries under which transportation of any construction material into the fort limits will be subject to a no objection certificate (NOC) by archeology department.

The measures to curb the illegal encroachments, aiming at protection of the fort that was declared a world heritage site by Unesco in 1997, were proposed at a meeting held in Jhelum to review the situation of the historical and tourists spots in the district.

Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Samiullah Khan, representatives of the archeology and tourism, police and other departments concerned were among the meeting participants.

One of the participant told Dawn seeking anonymity that the meeting decided that a police picket would be established at the main entrance to the fort to strictly stop the transportation of construction material without NOC issued by the district administration to check illegal construction at the historical site.

The NOC would be issued only in the light of a detailed report by the the local office of the archeology department, he added.

Moreover, he says, activities to highlight the importance of this world heritage site may also be launched by involving students of different colleges and universities and arranging tours of schoolchildren. Sports activities like marathon races, volleyball and floodlight cricket tournaments on the fort premises will also be organised, he added.

He says digital media platforms will also be used to promote the historical and tourists sites in Jhelum district, whereas the rest houses of forest department located at nearby spots like Lehri and Tilla Jogian can be provided to the tourists for the accommodation at discounted rates.

A district administration official says a plan to relocate those living on Rohtas Fort premises to other places had also been made by the authorities concerned around eight years ago at an estimated cost of Rs2 billion.

However, he adds that the number of houses inside the fort has almost doubled since the plan was chalked out and the cost may also have to be increased due to the sharp depreciation of rupee in the last couple of years.

He says that protection of this world heritage is a big challenge for the authorities concerned and requires strict measures.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2023