Rectify deficiencies that led to collapse of Kartarpur Gurudwara domes, India urges Pakistan

On Saturday, due to strong wind coupled with heavy showers and thunderstorm, two domes of the recently renovated gurudwara in Kartarapur collapsed.

New Delhi: India has taken up with Pakistan the issue of collapse of domes of Sikh shrine Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara, government sources said on Sunday (April 19). The government conveyed to Pakistan that the damage to the structures in the gurudwara has caused "great consternation" among the Sikh community and that the strong sense of faith and devotion of the community to the holy site must be fully understood and appreciated. 

The source added that in deference to the sentiments of the Sikh community, India urged Pakistan that deficiencies which led to the damage to the newly constructed structures be urgently rectified and remedied. 

On Saturday, due to strong wind coupled with heavy showers and thunderstorm, at least eight domes of the recently renovated gurudwara in Kartarapur collapsed. The photos of the incident went viral on social media after which reactions started pouring in from all over. Meanwhile, Pakistan maintained that the centuries-old sanctum sanctorum is safe.

In November 2019, the two countries threw open a corridor linking Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, in a historic people-to-people initiative.

Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. It is the final resting place of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev.

The sources said India conveyed to Pakistan that the strong sense of faith and devotion of the Sikh community to the holy site must be fully understood and appreciated.

It is to be noted that questions are being raised over the sub-standard material used for extension of the Kartarpur Sahib ahead of the corridor's opening. The domes, which are generally made of cement and iron, were erected using fibre sheet as the government seemed to have compromised in construction to meet the November 9 deadline to open the corridor.