Karachi : The Heritage Foundation of Pakistan and the National Forum for Environment & Health (NFEH) have jointly called upon the Sindh government and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) to take full ownership of the restored Denso Hall and its adjacent lane, and to fulfill their responsibilities for the sanctity, restoration, and protection of this historical site, and the model landscaped walking street created alongside, a few years ago, for the benefit of the shopkeepers, residents of the area, and visitors, at a cost of millions of rupees.
In a joint press statement, both non-governmental organisations expressed concern that KMC has become oblivious to its responsibilities just a couple of years after Heritage Foundation handed over the keys to this heritage-protected site, with the result that the historic building is being mutilated with all kinds of rennovation work that are strictly prohibited on heritage buildings. What’s more, the walking street, paved with hand-made terracotta tiles, and adorned with Miyawaki forests, which had become an attraction for visitors from all over the world who viewed it as an exemplary pollution-free, pedestrianized street in the heart of the city, has also become the target of vandalism and encroachment. It might be recalled that the street is a proven zero flood and zero heat island, with a difference of 12 degrees between outside and inside the street. HF maintained the cleaning and repairs of the street for over four years until KMC staff forcibly took it over and it is all but destroyed.
“The unattended municipal waste at the heritage site and the broken condition of the nearby renovated alley demonstrate the authorities’ sheer indifference towards this preserved historical place, whose protection should be a solemn government duty,” said Shanaz Ramzi, trustee and director of the Heritage Foundation, which led the preservation of Denso Hall and its surrounding street.
She feared that over two years of hard work and millions of rupees spent on the Denso Hall preservation project would go to waste if the KMC and government authorities failed to act urgently to maintain the site. She called upon the Sindh government, KMC, and the area police to immediately address issues of encroachment, waste disposal, and damage to parts of the preserved site.
She noted that Denso Hall, which had been carefully restored and protected by Heritage Foundation, at its own expense, furnished with bookshelves lined with expensive books that had been donated by the public, and a bathroom constructed in the hope that it would be restored to its former glory and be used as a public library, has now been shorn off everything. What’s more, the heritage building now looks more like a shaadi hall with the kind of adornments being done on the ceiling. Seeing the state of this erstwhile majestic building and model eco-friendly pedestrian street is not likely to inspire confidence among concerned patrons and philanthropists who wish to support efforts aimed at preserving and uplifting other heritage sites in Karachi.
The Heritage Foundation trustee emphasised that the Sindh government and KMC must do their utmost to maintain the green, environment-friendly, and public-friendly status of Denso Hall Rahguzar. She reiterated that the Heritage Foundation remains ready to assist government authorities and agencies in preserving the site’s restored status.
The deeply disappointed co-founder of Heritage Foundation, Yasmeen Lari, who is currently out of the country was only willing to state, “It is a gift from Heritage Foundation to the city. Now it is up to Karachiites to save it and prevent it from being destroyed.”
Naeem Qureshi, President of the NFEH, added that the Sindh government and KMC should have managed the Denso Hall project in a way that it could have become a major tourist attraction in central Karachi. “But now it seems the authorities are uninterested in maintaining this heritage-protected site, and it is rapidly falling into disrepair, much like other public amenities and spaces in Karachi,” said Qureshi.
He appealed to Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab to constitute a committee comprising conservationists, environmentalists, heritage experts, KMC officials, prominent citizens, and senior area police officers to oversee Denso Hall and the surrounding streets.
Qureshi stressed that the Denso Hall project should serve as a model for the revival and beautification of other heritage-protected sites in Karachi, which have vast potential to attract local and foreign tourists and serve as public recreational spaces.
He also appealed to the Sindh Chief Minister and the Local Government Minister to allocate the necessary financial and human resources for the site’s upkeep, timely repairs, and protection against garbage accumulation and encroachments.
