Conservation Challenges and Policy Framework

Heritage vs. Tourism Tension

The fundamental challenge of heritage site management in Rajasthan is the tension between conservation and access . Every additional tourist generates both benefits and costs:

• Benefits: Entry fees, local employment, handicraft sales
• Costs: Foot traffic erosion, humidity from breath, vibration from vehicles, encroachment pressure from hotels and food stalls

Carrying capacity is the central management concept. Three sites illustrate the problem most clearly:

• Jaisalmer Living Fort: ASI and UNESCO have repeatedly flagged over-tourism. The fort's drainage system was built for 3,000 residents; currently hosting 3,000 residents plus 4 lakh+ annual visitors creates waterlogging stress on the sandstone foundations.
• Amber Fort, Jaipur: Visitor footfall reached 19 lakh in 2023-24 — the single most-visited ASI monument in Rajasthan. Vehicular access causes vibration damage; ASI restricts vehicle entry to designated battery-operated shuttles since 2022.
• Keoladeo Ghana: Water availability fluctuates with competing agricultural demands from Ajan Bund. The park's bird count (370+ species) is visitor-sensitive; IUCN recommended strict zone-based access.

Encroachment and the 100-Metre Rule

The AMASR Amendment 2010's prohibited zone (100 m) has been contested in multiple Rajasthan cases:

• Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur (2017): Supreme Court ordered demolition of a restaurant constructed within the prohibited zone on ASI-protected hillside
• Chittorgarh encroachment: Residential construction within the fort perimeter is an ongoing dispute between ASI, state government, and 3,000+ residents living inside the fort area

Funding and Maintenance Gap

ASI's total annual maintenance budget for all 3,693 centrally protected monuments nationally is approximately ₹1,000 crore (2024-25 Union Budget allocation). Rajasthan's 174 monuments receive proportional but limited funding. The gap is bridged partly through three mechanisms:

• Entry fee revenue: Amber Fort generates the largest entry fee revenue in Rajasthan (₹25–200 per person depending on category)
• Corporate CSR: Companies adopt monuments under the "Adopt a Heritage 2.0" scheme (launched 2023 by Ministry of Tourism); companies pay maintenance costs in exchange for moderate co-branding rights
• State grants: Rajasthan's budget allocation for Archaeology and Museums department (2024-25): ₹312 crore

Adopt a Heritage Scheme in Rajasthan

The Adopt a Heritage scheme has been particularly active in Rajasthan:

• Amber Fort: Adopted by Dalmia Bharat Group
• Chittorgarh Fort: Under MoU with RINL (Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd.)
• Jantar Mantar, Jaipur: IRCTC has a co-management agreement for visitor services

Digital Conservation Initiatives

Three major digital tools are now deployed for heritage conservation:

• 3D laser scanning of Chittorgarh Fort (2021–2023) by ASI to create a baseline architectural record for tracking structural changes
• Drone survey mapping of all 174 Rajasthan ASI monuments completed 2022 — baseline for encroachment monitoring
• Virtual Reality (VR) heritage experience centres: Proposed at Jaipur (near Jantar Mantar) and Chittorgarh under Smart Heritage City initiatives

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