Rajkot Fort in Maharashtra shut again 41 days after Shivaji statue inauguration, ground cave-in sparks safety fears
Barely 41 days after the inauguration of a newly rebuilt 91-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the refurbished Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Sindhudurg district, has once again been shut to the public for urgent repairs.
The closure was prompted by a partial cave-in near the statue's platform last week, raising concerns about the structural integrity and safety of the site. The Public Works Department (PWD) has issued a notice stating that the fort will be closed to tourists starting Sunday, with repair work expected to continue for several days.
The damage was visible last week after heavy rains when a large crater emerged on the left side of the pathway around the statue. While the statue itself remains intact, viral videos showing the sunken ground have sparked widespread public criticism.
Anil Patil, Collector, Sindhudurg, had attributed the incident to recent heavy rains. Although authorities initially claimed that the issue had been rectified, the decision was later made to suspend public access to carry out comprehensive repairs.
The 91-foot bronze statue, depicting the sword-bearing Maratha warrior, was inaugurated on May 11, just eight months after the earlier 35-foot version collapsed in August 2024 amid heavy rainfall and strong winds. That statue was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023. The incident led to the arrests of both the statue's sculptor and its structural consultant amid a political firestorm, prompting the government to build a new structure.
Constructed at a cost of Rs 31.75 crore, the new statue was unveiled by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, this second structural failure has revived criticism from Opposition leaders, including former Shiv Sena UBT Kudal MLA Vaibhav Naik.
'The state has so far spent over Rs 100 crore on this project, yet the ground around the statue has caved in. This raises serious questions about the quality of construction. Forts built during Shivaji Maharaj's reign have stood strong for centuries, yet structures built today with a supposed 100-year guarantee are failing. A thorough investigation must be conducted.' Naik said.
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