What is the state of preservation of Mohenjo-Daro and what is being done to preserve it?

Mohenjo-Daro, a metropolis of the 5,000-year-old Indus Valley Civilisation, is in a pitiable state, beset with a host of threats, both natural and anthropocentric. It is grappling with two mortal dangers: waterlogging and salinity, and climate change is a new entrant to this list of menaces. The federal and provincial governments have shown little resolve to protect Mohenjo-Daro, and there is a dearth of financial, human, and technical resources to save the site. Fortunately, Unesco experts, along with local academia and volunteers, have recently come up with a two-pronged strategy comprising a three-year ‘rehabilitation plan’ and an urgent four-month ‘stabilisation work’ project. However, the fear of official complacency arises in the mind when one looks at the rueful annals of the efforts made to preserve Mohenjo-Daro. The article also highlights the responsibility of the federal and provincial governments in preserving the country’s heritage, which they have failed to do so far.