Soot stains Daulatabad Fort amid rampant waste burning in vicinity, guides say smoke & stench mar tourist experience

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The majestic Daulatabad Fort, along with its iconic Chand Minar, appears to be slowly suffocating under a veil of soot, with its stone walls turning darker by the day. Heritage enthusiasts attributed the damage to garbage being burned near the monument, allegedly by the local gram panchayat.The smoke, the heritage lovers warned, was not just staining the centuries-old structure but also fuelling recurring fire incidents in the area, especially during the summer months. Nilesh Kulkarni, a heritage enthusiast, said the fort was facing garbage burning almost daily. "Waste is set ablaze practically every day near the Rasai Devi shrine located barely a few metres from the fort's entrance. The fort is already surrounded by brick kilns. Now this relentless garbage burning has worsened the air pollution. Anyone comparing old and new photographs can clearly see how the monument is turning black," he said.Tourist guides, too, have raised a red flag too. "Visitors come here from across India and abroad. The smoke, the stench and the sight of burning garbage create an awful impression, not just of the monument but of the administration too," a senior guide said.Standing tall for more than 800 years, Daulatabad Fort — once the capital of the Yadavas, briefly the capital of India under the Tughlaqs and later the seat of the Nizamshahis — remains one of the Deccan's most intricate and celebrated hill forts. Yet, despite its glorious past, it now finds itself battling a far more mundane but destructive enemy.Former honorary wildlife warden Kisor Pathak said the fort's surrounding biodiversity was also paying a price. "A single spark from the burning garbage can get carried by the wind and ignite a major blaze. The fort's rich flora and fauna are repeatedly damaged because of these incidents," he said.Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) authorities refused to comment on the issue. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Zilla Parishad CEO Ankit, however, called the matter "serious" and promised firm action against lapses by the gram panchayat. "The BDO and local authorities have been told to ensure garbage is not burned in the open, and waste around the fort is cleared immediately through a special cleanliness drive. We have conducted similar drives recently at Ellora Caves and Grishneshwar Temple," he added.