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Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Forest department seeks temporary closure of Ajanta Caves for bee relocation, but ASI non-committal
1 2 Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The forest department, which is relocating bees at Ajanta Caves, has requested a temporary closure of the Unesco World Heritage site to facilitate the operation without tourist interference. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has, however, cited procedural issues, stating that the request could not be granted immediately. A large swarm of bees from a beehive at cave number 4 was relocated on Monday when the heritage site was closed for tourists for weekly maintenance. Deputy conservator of forests Suvarna Mane said the brief closure of Ajanta Caves for tourists would be helpful in relocating the bees from different caves swiftly. "We made an oral request to ASI to close down the caves for tourists for a brief period, but there has been no response from their side so far. Such a closure is necessary as tourist movements prove a hurdle in relocating bees," she said. After cave number 4, the forest department and ASI are now focusing on caves 9 and 10, where a larger number of beehives are present. Shiv Kumar Bhagat, superintending archaeologist for ASI, Aurangabad circle, told TOI that the forest department did not make any written request with regards to the temporary closure of Ajanta Caves for tourists. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thousands Are Saving Money Using This Wall Plug elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Click Here Undo "We have to follow rules and seek permission from the central authorities while responding to any such request. If not entire closure, partial closure of the caves for tourists could be considered, subject to approval from the top authorities," he said. A series of bee attacks on tourists was reported at Ajanta Caves this summer, prompting ASI to seek help from the forest department in relocating bees. Jaswant Singh, founder of the advocacy and resource group Aurangabad Tourism Development Foundation, said ASI would be responsible for any injury or possible death due to bee attacks at Ajanta Caves. "This is a lean tourist period at Ajanta Caves and there is no harm in closing down the caves for a few days. If executed properly, the ongoing operation would bring a big relief to tourists. The bee attacks in the recent past have tarnished the image of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, which is known as the tourism capital of Maharashtra," Singh said.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Bee relocation operation starts at Ajanta Caves; two ASI staffers injured during exercise
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The forest department and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) started a bee relocation operation at the Ajanta Caves, a Unesco World Heritage Site, on Monday after repeated attacks on tourists, including foreigners. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The exercise aimed to safely remove a large swarm of bees from cave number 4 at the site, during which two ASI staff members received minor injuries from bee stings. The operation marked the beginning of a larger initiative to protect visitors from bee attacks at the site, famous for its ancient Buddhist rock-cut caves and intricate artwork. Deputy conservator of forests Suvarna Mane said honeybees at Ajanta Caves were relocated in a scientific manner. "Utmost care was taken to ensure no harm to the bees during the operation. The bees were then relocated to far off locations as bees are known for movement in their habitats up to 100km," she told TOI. Forest department officials said a rescue team groomed by Sanjay Marne, a retired forest official from Pune, was also expected to arrive at Ajanta Caves by Thursday. The ASI circle in-charge for Ajanta Caves, Manoj Pawar, said cave number 9 and 10 would be covered during the next phase of the operation. "The cave number 10 has a maximum of six beehives. This cave witnessed the maximum bee attack on tourists," he said. The ASI officials said beehives were located at high levels in different caves, making the operation a challenging task. "We have to raise scaffolding made of bamboo and metal pipes to reach the height where beehives are located," Pawar said. Earlier, ASI pointed fingers towards the forest department following bee attacks on tourists. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On June 6, ASI wrote to the forest department seeking help in the relocation of the bees. Honorary wildlife warden for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Dr Kishor Pathak said Ajanta Caves needed to be closed for a few days for tourists till all bees were removed. "We also need to introspect as to why the bee attack on tourists has suddenly increased at Ajanta Caves. There is no check on the number of tourists visiting the site. Perfume and body spray used by tourists also disturb the honeybees," he added.
