One of the world’s oldest surviving settlements has been hit hard by torrential rains in Pakistan as the country continues to grapple with the worst floods in its history.
Mohenjo-Daro, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Indus Valley 508 kilometers from the port city of Karachi, was built in the Bronze Age, about 5,000 years ago.
Satellite images show that the deadly floods have caused the formation of a huge inland lake with a diameter of 100 km. The situation is aggravated by the fact that this place was used as temporary accommodation for the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, whose own houses were flooded.
Currently, they were urgently given shelter in residential areas, parking areas, shops, and even on the first floor of the museum.
Currently, a third of the territory of Pakistan is under water after monsoon rains and as a result of melting glaciers – several walls have already collapsed.
Most of Mohenjo-Daro’s structures, which were discovered in the 1920s, are above ground and prone to collapse.
The measures that have been taken: installation of water pumps, repair of brickwork, and cleaning of sewage drains are insufficient. The restorers suggest that flooding could pose a danger to the site, and even if the government allocates 100 million Pakistani rupees ($45 million), it will not be enough for a full renovation.
During its heyday, the city was a bustling metropolis. There were markets, public baths, a functioning sewage system, and a Buddhist hill built of sun-baked bricks.
Scientists sound the alarm: Mohenjo-Daro may be added to the list of UNESCO sites in danger, as a historical site that has undergone a serious risk of destruction.
Currently on this list are such objects as the Everglades National Park in Florida, which faces significant environmental problems, and the city of Liverpool in England, whose historic center is considered at risk of urbanization.