An ancient tunnel composed of Nanakshahi bricks has been discovered in the Lohgarh area of the old walled city of Amritsar. Was it a secret passage made during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to link Kila Gobindgarh and Harmandir Sahib, or is it part of the ancient Lohgarh Fort itself?
Even as mystery prevails about the discovery of an ancient historic underground tunnel shaped structure at the Lohgarh area in the walled city, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) showed little interest to study its authenticity.
The local civic bodies, which chanced upon the historic structure while digging the area for the rehabilitation project of the existing underground sewerage system of the city, had conveyed the news about its discovery to the ASI on Wednesday, but none of the officials from their side has turned up as yet to examine the site.
Nevertheless, while looking at the nature of the structure made of ancient Nanakshahi bricks, observers here speculated that it could be a security passage made in the Maharaja Ranjit Singh period from Kila Gobindgarh to Harmandir Sahib, to be used as an emergency exit during war. Another theory says that it must have been one of the relics of the ancient Lohgarh Fort, estimated to be located somewhere nearby, at one time.
MC Commissioner DPS Kharbanda said as soon as such rumours came to his notice, he conveyed the same to the ASI officials. “Otherwise, being an old city, it has a plethora of old historical structures and there was nothing unusual about it. It can be an old sewerage passage too, but you cannot reach at any logical conclusion till experts come and examine it. Still, I rang them up but they have not arrived to examine the spot as yet,” he said.
Charandass, senior assistant with the archeological department, admitted that he had received the message but said since he was in Chandigarh, he could not find out whether any team of the ASI has visited the spot or not. He referred another official – Dr Kuldeep Singh’s name – to ascertain whether action had been taken.
Dr Kuldeep Singh, however, simply denied receiving any such message.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, in collaboration with the municipal corporation, carried on with the digging work, to execute the work on sewerage and augmentation of existing underground system, under the Ministry of Urban Development’s programme.
It is for the first time that a Rs 40-crore project is being executed in the city, which would cater to about 50,000 people living in 31 localities. Elaborating further, DPS Kharbanda said this project was being undertaken for the first time after 1947.
“We have been receiving at least 20 complaints daily about the choking or snags in the sewerage system here. This project would redress their problem permanently”, he said. Superintending engineer GK Goyal, who headed the operation team, said this portion is the lifeline of the walled city and after the laying of these new pipelines, a major chunk of the sullage would be diverted to the main drain.
From Global Sikh News 17 December 210