ISLAMABAD: The government is implementing a project to help protect historical Rohtas Fort and develop it as a heritage site conforming to international standards of conservation and tourism.

Rohtas Fort Conservation Programme was jointly initiated by the Department of Archaeology and Museums and the Hamalaya Wildlife Foundation (HWF).

A senior official on Sunday told this agency that the foundation has been involved in restoring and conserving several of the twelve gates of Rohtas in accordance with international standards. Shah Chandwali Gate was the first which was restored.

Giving details about the work completed so far, the official said HWF's conservation team documented the layout, structure and original elevations of the gate; carried out archaeological excavations and lime mortar analyses to determine the original materials used to build the gate; and then restored the main arch that had caved in.

The other conservation work done was to restore Talaqi Gate, Gatali Gate and Haveli Mansingh, which included the excavations and documentation of the structure, he added.

The official said HWF has also completed development of the different portions, including documentation and conservation of Haveli Mansingh, development of Heritage Village, Sher Shah Suri Museum and Visitors Information Centre (VIC).

Sher Shah Suri built this strong fortified complex at Rohtas, a strategic site about 16 kilometres north-west of the city of Jhelum.

About Talaqi Gate, the official said seepage, heavy rains, and general neglect caused the left inner face of the gate to collapse, and the right flank and foundation to become detached from the original structure.

Emergency repairs were carried out on the two-storey gate to protect it from further damage or structural failure.

About the Gatali Gate, which forms the original entrance to Rohtas, the official said over time, its right bastion and supporting wall collapsed as a result of permeated rainwater and the erosion of its foundations. Although the department of archaeology attempted to repair the bastion in Portland plaster, it did not bond well and collapsed again. The HWF has recently begun restoration work on the gate.

Moreover, the official said world's only museum dedicated to Sher Shah Suri has also been established at Sohail Gate. A curator's office and library will be set up once the conservation of the external structure of the museum is completed.

The official said the HWF has also developed a Rohtas Heritage Village to mobilise local community at Rohtas to build and manage a partially financed sanitation scheme to upgrade the village into a 'model heritage village.'

The local community was persuaded to establish a Citizens' Community Board (CCB) and agreed to contribute 20 per cent of the total cost of the sanitation scheme.

Two separate sewage trunk pipes were laid and a collection tank was constructed at the end of the village's two main streets, and the main 'heritage' street was paved. Work for conservation and restoration of portion of the fort, including Rani Mahal, is in progress, the official added. — APP