ASI to clean water bodies, create firelines to avoid spread of blazes at Devgiri Fort

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will undertake cleaning of water bodies and create firelines to avoid spread of fires at Devgiri Fort in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, a senior official said on Monday.

The Devgiri fort, also known as Daulatabad fort, is a major attraction among tourists.

On April 8, a fire engulfed a considerable portion of the fort and affected the wild animals, including monkeys, in the area.

Last week, a disaster management workshop was held at a temple in the fort and personnel from the NDRF, fire brigade and disaster management authorities discussed preventive measures, following which ASI has decided to take steps to prevent such incidents in future.

"Natural water bodies in the fort area will be cleaned. We plan to deploy pumps at these water bodies. They can be used to extinguish fires if needed. Vegetation in the area will not be cleared," the official told PTI.

Firelines will also be created in the fort area, he said.

The official said. "The CCTVs were installed in the fort long ago. However, they haven't been functioning well. As the fort area is large, we cannot install them everywhere. We will ensure visitors don't carry flammable items inside the structure."