Pune: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started installing and repairing railings for the safety of tourists at the Lohagad Fort near Lonavala, off the Pune-Mumbai highway, about 60km from Pune. The fort has an extended fortified spur called ‘Vinchukada' (scorpion's tail) because of its resembling shape. ASI officials said the railings are being set up as visitors often go to a cliff to spot a top view of the area.
The fort rises to an elevation of over 3,300 feet. According to ASI records, about 10,000 people visit the fort monthly. "We first laid railings on the fort in 2016.
In eight years, some of them are junked and rusted, while a few were dismantled. So the repair was essential to restrict people from entering prohibited, risky sites on the fort. We initiated the work a few weeks ago.
The entry to this zone of the fort has been restricted for the people. It will be open for them in the coming weeks," said Gajanan Mandaware, the senior conservationist of the ASI Pune branch. "The authorities concerned need to focus more on the safety of these places since they are frequented by people throughout the year.
The ASI should have replaced and laid more railings a few years ago. It should appoint more security guards to control the movement of the visitors at the fort," said Mangesh Shelar, a villager who runs a stall at the foothills of the fort. The ASI recently created two new points on the fort where people can watch aerial views of some regions, they said.
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