ASI monuments to reopen from July 6

Number of visitors to be capped

NEW DELHI: All ASI protected monuments will be reopened for the public from July 6 with entry only through e-tickets, a cap on the number of visitors and mandatory wearing of masks, the culture ministry said on Thursday.

The minister said all coronavirus-related protocols issued by the Union health ministry would be followed by the monument authorities. In a tweet, Culture Minister Prahlad Patel said, “I have taken a decision along with the ministry of culture and the ASI to open all monuments from July 6.” This, however, will be done with the compliance of the state and district administration.

The ministry issued a set of protocols, saying only those monuments which are in non-containment zones will be reopened.

Entry tickets shall be issued by e-mode and e-payments will be acceptable at the monument parking and cafeteria. “There will be a cap on the number of visitors in select monuments... The visitors shall follow social distancing. The use of face cover/mask is mandatory. Entrance to have mandatory hand hygiene and thermal scanning provisions. Only asymptomatic persons are allowed. There shall be designated routes for entry & exit and movement within the monument,” as per the ministry SOP.

The visiting hours have been divided into two slots with visitors at most monuments being capped at 1,000 per slot depending upon the footfall they receive, the SOP said. While the visitors at Taj Mahal in Agra have been capped at 2,500 per slot, at Delhi's Qutub Minar and Red Fort, a maximum of 1,500 visitors will be allowed per slot.

At the Agra Fort in Agra and Sun Temple in Bhubneshwar, visitors have been capped at 1200-1300 per slot.