The ruins of Mohenjo Daro – located in the southern province of Sindh near the Indus River and a UNESCO World Heritage Site – are considered to be among the best-preserved urban settlements in South Asia. They were discovered in 1922 and to this day, mystery surrounds the disappearance of its culture, which coincided with those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The walls of Mohenjo Daro (seen here in February 2017) were built nearly 5,000 years ago. Archaeologists are now overseeing repairs at the site. (Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images) The swollen waters of the Indus, a major river in this part of the world, have wreaked havoc as heavy rains and massive floods wreaked havoc across much of Pakistan. At least 1,325 people have been killed and millions have lost their homes to the waters, with many experts blaming the unusually heavy monsoon rains on climate change. The floods did not directly affect Mohenjo Daro, but the record-breaking rainfall damaged the ruins of the ancient city, said Ahsan Abbasi, the site’s curator. “Many great walls, built nearly 5,000 years ago, have collapsed because of the monsoon rains,” Abbasi told The Associated Press. This aerial photo taken on August 31 shows the flooded Indus River along the Sukkur Dam following heavy rains in flood-hit Sukkur, Sindh province. (AFP/Getty Images)
The ancient drainage system can help protect the site
He said dozens of construction workers under the supervision of archaeologists have begun repair work. Abbasi did not give the estimated cost of the damage to Mohenjo Daro. Abbasi said the civilization at Mohenjo Daro, also known as the “Mound of the Dead” in the local Sindhi language, built an elaborate drainage system, which was critical during floods in the past. Although the floods have touched the whole of Pakistan, the province of Sindh has been hit the hardest.
Big lake can overflow
On Monday, army engineers made a second cut in an embankment in Lake Manacher, Pakistan’s largest freshwater lake, to release rising waters in hopes of saving the nearby town of Sehwan from heavy flooding. Water from the lake has already flooded dozens of nearby villages, forcing hundreds of families to rush out of their mud-brick homes, with many fleeing in panic. Meanwhile, rescue operations continued on Tuesday with troops and volunteers using helicopters and boats to get stranded people out of flooded areas and to the nearest relief camps. Tens of thousands of people already live in such camps, and thousands more have taken refuge on roadsides on higher ground. Ghulam Shabir, 52, from the outskirts of Szechuan, said on Tuesday that he fled his home three days ago after authorities told them to evacuate. “I took my family members with me and came to this… safer place,” said Shabir, staying by the side of the road where he has set up camp. He echoed the complaints of many other villagers — that no government aid had yet reached them. Shabir said he did not know whether his house had collapsed or not.
Visit of the UN Office in Pakistan
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif urged Pakistanis in televised remarks on Tuesday to donate generously to flood victims, most of whom rely on government aid to survive. Sharif has also repeatedly called on the international community to send more aid to the flood victims. Last week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called on the world to stop “sleepwalking” through the crisis. He plans to visit flood-affected areas on September 9. According to Pakistani officials, Guterres will travel to Sindh, but it is unclear whether he will visit the archaeological site.
