A large part of historic Amer Fort in Jaipur, Rajasthan, was reported to have collapsed on Saturday, according to the information provided by local news agencies. Approximately 200 feet of the wall of the fort collapsed, making people start worrying about the safety and preservation of this famous heritage site. Officials have also confirmed as reported that the collapse happened during heavy rainfall, which is believed to have undermined the aging structure of the fort over the years.
The Jaipur main attraction is indeed one of the world-renowned sites, the Amber Fort, which is a UNESCO site that features an artistic Hindu-style architectural construction and was built with tremendous ramparts and several palaces. The fort attracts thousands of visitors, both foreign and local, each year. Luckily, there have been no reported casualties so far, though authorities are carrying out inspections to check on visitor safety.
The Jaipur municipal corporation and the state archaeology department have been put in the know, and teams of engineers and heritage conservation experts are expected to ascertain the extent of damage. Preliminary observations indicate that the fort is very old and, as such, is subjected to long-term rainwater as well as natural ageing and deterioration that may have led to structural failure. The authorities are also scrutinizing water and drainage management and systems within and around the fort to avert further occurrences.
Local authorities have temporarily barricaded the affected area to ensure that visitors do not access the risky zone. We are anticipating tourist activities in the rest of the fort to be uninterrupted, albeit with a greater degree of safety levels and surveillance. It is hoped that restoration work will commence shortly, and both the state government and heritage conservation organizations have laid more stress on the urgency of this conservation work on this historic monument.
Scholars have emphasized that Amer Fort, among several other heritage sites in India, needs frequent check-ups and proffering of conservation to tackle structural weaknesses beyond the monsoon season that usually causes such sites to be worse because of heavy downpours.
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