Maharashtra: Tourist footfall decreases at Ellora, other ASI sites in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

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The tourist footfall at Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) monuments in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, including Ajanta and Ellora Caves, decreased by almost 50 per cent between March 1, 2024, to November 30, 2024, data showed.

As many as 50,50,071 domestic tourists had visited the 'ticketed monuments' of ASI - Ajanta and Ellora Cave Complex, Bibi ka Maqbara, Daulatabad (Devgiri) fort and Aurangabad caves - from March 1 to November 30, 2023. The footfall of foreign tourists stood at 35,618 during this period, news agency PTI reported.

But the domestic tourist footfall came down by nearly half to 24,94,570 and that of foreign tourists was 30,884 during the same period in 2024, ASI officials said.

The World Heritage Site of Ellora remained the favourite destination, with 10,60,741 tourists visiting the cave complex.

According to PTI, Jaswant Singh, the President of the Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation (ATDF), blamed "negative publicity" about the condition of roads for the shrinking footfall.

The air connectivity of the city has also declined, while hotels have become expensive, he said.

HC seeks govt reply on tourist vehicles blocking tigress' path in Maharashtra sanctuary

The Bombay High Court (HC) has taken a dim view of an incident where safari vehicles carrying tourists obstructed the movement of a tigress and her cubs in the Umred-Pauni-Karhandla Sanctuary in Maharashtra on New Year's eve, news agency PTI reported.

Justices Nitin Sambre and Vrushali Joshi of the Nagpur bench of the court on Monday issued notice to the state's principal chief conservator of forests and sought a detailed affidavit on action taken and preventive measures.

The bench will hear the plea on Wednesday.

In the viral videos of the December 31 incident, safari vehicles are seen crowding around the tigress, identified as F-2, and her five cubs from both sides of a road in the buffer zone of the sanctuary in Nagpur to help tourists capture their photos and videos.

The HC took suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the videos and news reports on the incident.

On Monday, the Maharashtra forest department suspended four drivers and guides involved in the incident for three months.

The tourists involved in this incident have been permanently banned from visiting the sanctuary in the future, and a committee, headed by the deputy director of the Bor Tiger Reserve, has been constituted to recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future, PTI reported.

(With PTI inputs)