File photos of Daulatabad Castle.
A few days after the famous Devgiri Fort fire in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, the Intach Prime Minister’s Heritage Conservation Agency requires visitors to be banned from bringing any flammable substance to historic monuments.
The team of the National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (Intach) met with the Archaeological Survey Bureau of India (ASI) on Wednesday (16 April 2025) and submitted the memorandum they requested on the fort.
Devgiri Fort, also known as Daulatabad Fort, is a great attraction among tourists visiting the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar region of Maharashtra. 16 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, it was once the capital of the Yadava dynasty from the ninth to the 14thTh century.
On April 8, the fire engulfed most of the fortress and affected wildlife in the area, including monkeys. In its memo, Intach claimed that grass growing on Baradari’s terrace (located at the highest part of the fortress) caught fire and then spread over the wood structure.
“So, grass and trees growing on important structures within the fort should be removed regularly. Clean the drive regularly, especially before summer, remove weeds, dead branches and plastic waste.”
“Everyone entering the venue should have a thorough inspection at the entrance point to make sure that cigarettes, lighters, BIDI, matchboxes or any other flammable substances are not included in the venue,” Intach said. “The restrictions on plastic bottles should be imposed in the fort.”
“In addition, compliance should be ensured for the Fire and Life Safety Measures Act of Maharashtra, 2006. In case of an emergency, pathways should be created and maintained regularly to allow small water tanks to enter any part of the fortress.”
publishing – April 17, 2025 at 12:58 pm IST
