50 encroachments inside Chittor fort identified

Jaipur: More than 50 encroachments inside the Chittorgarh fort, the country’s biggest fort, have been identified by the Chittorgarh district administration as those that have been preventing its renovation work for a long time.
During a four-hour inspection of the fort’s premises on Tuesday, Chittorgarh DM Arvind Poswal listed the challenges coming in the way of fixing the problems. With applications piling up for years at the DM’s office seeking requests for the repair work of the residential buildings, Poswal assured the residents that his office would speed up acquiring permission for the repair work required.
The district administration now plans to desilt and cleanse the 82 water bodies inside the walls of Chittorgarh fort under Indira Gandhi Urban Employment Guarantee Scheme (IGUEGS), said sources.
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under whose protection the fort stands, has been highlighting the encroachments endangering this historical structure. ASI and other competent authorities have proposed to extend the road from Rana Sanga Bazaar to Rampole by removing encroachments that have been causing jams during the peak tourist season.
Unchecked growth of commercial and residential buildings on the fort premises have been hampering efforts to beautify its surroundings by installation of lights, provide amenities like toilets and water dispensers and to implement plans to facilitate running of electric vehicles to ferry passengers to reduce the carbon footprint.
A senior ASI officer posted in Jodhpur circle said, “The fort has a dense population inside its walls, which causes constant movement of people and vehicles that lead to gradual damage to the historical structures. Many encroachments or permitted residences on the fort premises have become weak over the years. Some of them are on the verge of collapsing”.
ASI does not allow the construction of any commercial or residential property inside its protected sites unless permission is granted by a competent authority.