NASHIK: The Ramshej fort’s beauty has been disrupted by piles of garbage as many irresponsible tourists flock at the fort every day, especially on the weekends, and dirty the historical site. The District Collector through his orders has restricted the entry of tourists in wildlife areas, historic sites, hills, mountains, waterfalls, and other tourist sites to prevent the third wave of Covid-19. However, tourists still visit these forts in huge numbers, and authorities take no action against them.
When the Collector had imposed Section 144 in the district, even then, Ramshej fort used to witness a rush of tourists on weekends. Due to the negligence of police administration and the forest department, the fort is being filled with plastic, one for materials considered toxic for the environment. The Shivakarya Gadkot Conservation Society is working for the Ramshej fort and preserving its biodiversity for the past 15 years at personal expense. The vendors at the fort have been asked to sell things on paper or paper plates.
They have erected guidelines boards for tourists at the base and top of the fort to make them aware of the importance of the historical fort and clean environment. However, many turn a blind eye to these guidelines. They submitted a letter to the gram panchayat, but they didn’t take any action yet. Amid the ongoing pandemic, tourists’ visits can prove harmful for the local villagers too. The villagers need to protect the fort and themselves by waking up the concerned authorities to take strict action against the tourists. Fort conservators have demanded registration process and check post set up at the fort’s entry.
Unruly tourists, miscreants, and even some addicts are destroying the environment of the historical forts preserved by conservators through hard work during the lockdown period. Even after repeated discussions with the concerned authorities, the situation remains the same. Fort conservators are working hard for fort and monuments preservation, but some miscreants keep destroying them. To solve the issue, Shivakarya Gadkot Conservation Society will address the issue once again through the Environment Task Force.
