LAHORE: The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) would complete the Rs 90 million restoration work on the ancient Koocha Hussain Shah, located behind the Wazir Khan Mosque.
According to the history provided by the WCLA, this neighbourhood is named after a person Hussain Shah, renowned for his ability to treat eye infections and illness. He was reputed to possess a surma (kohl) that could even restore lost vision or blindness. Additionally, he served as the warden of the Rezakar team before the establishment of Pakistan.
Koocha Hussain Shah is well connected with the Masjid Wazir Khan. Another historical significance of this area was the shrine of Hazrat Imam Gamo, located to the south of the entrance to the Wazir Khan Mosque.
Commenting on the restoration work, project head Mubashir Hassan said at present the restoration work was underway to revive the historical significance of the houses, street infrastructure, and other features around the Wazir Khan Mosque. “The Annual Development Programme (ADP) scheme for Kocha Hussain Shah was approved in 2021 and the Punjab government’s funding is being used for the rehabilitation project. The project was shared with the Heritage Conservation Board of WCLA and later the work began,” he added.
He further said that the rehabilitation included the restoration of 31 buildings and 400 meters of street infrastructure whereas 13 of these buildings held historical significance and could be stated as almost 200 years old.
“Following the approval of the restoration scheme, architectural documentation and rehabilitation proposals were made and 3D scanning of the buildings was done to get to know the exact condition of the buildings,” he added.
“In this project, we will be doing the façade and structural rehabilitation of all the properties along with the infrastructure improvements. We will be taking the wiring underground, improving the sanitation and sewerage systems and similarly, all open drains will be covered. Moreover, improvement of street surfacing, illumination and improvement of street lighting and fixation of sign boards for tourists/ visitors will also be a part of this project,” he said.
WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said that this was one of the most attractive and interesting “koocha” of the walled city of Lahore.
“One of its features is the old houses still holding the historic fabric, second is the connection with the Wazir Khan Masjid and then the close vicinity with the Tomb of Imam Gammo. We are very diligently working on restoring this Koocha and aim to revive it to its original glory. I am sure that once connected to the tourist trail after the rehabilitation, it will be a hotspot for the tourists.”
He further added that the community of the area was also taken on board and several discussions and design sharing of the interventions were done with them as WCLA works with a participatory approach and involves the community in all the works.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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