Water tank set to house rooftop eatery
A 19th-century water tank located near the Ghanta Ghar in Multan is likely to be transformed into a rooftop restaurant as part of efforts to preserve and repurpose the city's heritage.
According to Multan Walled City Project Assistant Director Umair Ghazanfar, conservation work at the site is under way and expected to be completed within four months.
The massive iron tank, standing on sturdy steel columns that has been visible to generations of the city's residents, has long been a landmark of the area.
Constructed during the British rule, the tank dates back to 1888, the year when Multan was granted the status of a town committee. Measuring approximately 70 feet in length and 45 feet in width, the tank had the capacity of storing around 400,000 gallons of water.
Despite its imposing above-ground structure, nearly 75 per cent of its height lies below the surface, highlighting the depth and strength of its foundation, said walled city guide Amir Bashir.
Umair Ghazanfar shared that extensive structural repairs were being undertaken. "Where the iron has rusted away, new plates will be installed. We are working on two proposals -- one is to convert it into a rooftop restaurant, and the other is to allow visitors access to the top, similar to how Damdama, the highest part of Fort Kohna Multan, has been made accessible to tourists," he explained.
"However, the priority is to develop it into a rooftop restaurant, which would offer a unique blend of heritage and modern experience," the official stated.
The tank had fallen out of use over the previous decades.
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