Pune: Officials of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) have reported a rise in instances of littering by tourists at ticketed forts in the state during the ongoing holiday season.
Tourists visiting the forts (connected with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) have not only been discarding plastic waste within the premises, but also causing damage to ancient stone structures.
The ASI is currently engaged in major conservation efforts, with particular focus on Raigad and Vijaydurg forts. The restoration work involves repairing the throne area associated with Shivaji Maharaj at Raigad fort, and restoring the sea-facing bastion that collapsed at Vijaydurg fort.
“The bastion is being restored with lime and Surkhi mortar. This bastion had collapsed in 2020, and the restoration work started recently,” the a senior ASI official said.
“We are undertaking massive restoration efforts at Raigad fort and large stones have to be transported uphill. We thus urge visitors to contribute to preservation by refraining from littering or causing harm to fort structures. It is the collective responsibility of tourists to safeguard these cultural treasures,” he said. Currently, structural restoration of the two massive structures, near the ropeway at the Raigad fort, is underway. The out of plumb stone wall of one of the structures has been reset, and its pointing is being taken up. Restoration of the embankment of ancient Kushawart tank is also under progress.
Highlighting the scale of the issue, another ASI official said that workers collected approximately 3,000 empty plastic water bottles from the premises of Janjira fort last weekend.
“There has been a surge in footfall at the fort, with approximately 2000-plus tickets sold to visitors last Sunday. This figure excludes accompanying children, who have free entry, emphasizing the impact of increased tourism on the littering problem,” he said. He added that such instances are on the rise in many parts of the state.
The ASI official said that tourists often tend to handle fort stones that have come loose or engrave their names on the walls with sharp objects, which can affect conservation measures, including attempts at vandalism.
A city-based archaeologist said, “Over one lakh people visited the Raigad fort on the day of Shivrajyabhishek this year, far exceeding its intended capacity. Due to the depletion of water sources on the fort, visitors are forced to purchase bottled water, contributing to the accumulation of empty plastic bottles within the fort premises. Moreover, some people collect loose mud and stones from the fort as memorabilia, particularly as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s samadhi is situated on the fort.”
Tourists visiting the forts (connected with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) have not only been discarding plastic waste within the premises, but also causing damage to ancient stone structures.
The ASI is currently engaged in major conservation efforts, with particular focus on Raigad and Vijaydurg forts. The restoration work involves repairing the throne area associated with Shivaji Maharaj at Raigad fort, and restoring the sea-facing bastion that collapsed at Vijaydurg fort.
“The bastion is being restored with lime and Surkhi mortar. This bastion had collapsed in 2020, and the restoration work started recently,” the a senior ASI official said.
“We are undertaking massive restoration efforts at Raigad fort and large stones have to be transported uphill. We thus urge visitors to contribute to preservation by refraining from littering or causing harm to fort structures. It is the collective responsibility of tourists to safeguard these cultural treasures,” he said. Currently, structural restoration of the two massive structures, near the ropeway at the Raigad fort, is underway. The out of plumb stone wall of one of the structures has been reset, and its pointing is being taken up. Restoration of the embankment of ancient Kushawart tank is also under progress.
Highlighting the scale of the issue, another ASI official said that workers collected approximately 3,000 empty plastic water bottles from the premises of Janjira fort last weekend.
“There has been a surge in footfall at the fort, with approximately 2000-plus tickets sold to visitors last Sunday. This figure excludes accompanying children, who have free entry, emphasizing the impact of increased tourism on the littering problem,” he said. He added that such instances are on the rise in many parts of the state.
The ASI official said that tourists often tend to handle fort stones that have come loose or engrave their names on the walls with sharp objects, which can affect conservation measures, including attempts at vandalism.
A city-based archaeologist said, “Over one lakh people visited the Raigad fort on the day of Shivrajyabhishek this year, far exceeding its intended capacity. Due to the depletion of water sources on the fort, visitors are forced to purchase bottled water, contributing to the accumulation of empty plastic bottles within the fort premises. Moreover, some people collect loose mud and stones from the fort as memorabilia, particularly as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s samadhi is situated on the fort.”
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