Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A massive fire broke out in the hill ranges near the world-famous Ajanta Caves on Monday around 8 am and continued to smoulder for nearly four hours. Strong winds intensified the blaze, destroying valuable trees and rare medicinal plants. Despite being informed, no forest department official reached the spot, triggering anger among locals.
The fire spread rapidly across the hills, but around 12 noon its intensity reduced as wind speed slowed and it gradually came under control naturally due to the hill pathways. However, by then, significant forest wealth had been damaged.
Questions over forest department preparedness
As the incident occurred near a world heritage site, residents questioned whether forest staff are actually deployed for hill patrols. Environmentalists alleged that negligence by the forest department has led to frequent forest fires, threatening rare plant species.
Demand for permanent measures
Residents of the Fardapur area urged the forest department to implement permanent preventive measures such as fire lines and other systems to control forest fires and protect the biodiversity of the Ajanta hills for future generations.