Patiala: Volunteers on Sunday cleared four trolley-loads of garbage from the 18th-century Nabha Fort and an adjoining park, renewing demands that the monument linked to Maharaja Ripudaman Singh be protected and developed as a tourism destination.The clean-up was led by newly elected municipal councillor Yadvinder Singh, who said he acted on public demand despite the fort lying outside his ward. Volunteers alleged the fort had turned into a dumping ground, with garbage being discarded by residents and even municipal sanitation workers.Nabha SDM A P S Somal praised the initiative and said the municipal council deployed JCBs, waste trolleys and sanitation staff to support the drive. He said previous clean-up efforts had been hampered by staff strikes and pending funds from the archaeological department. He also announced an afforestation drive next month and urged residents to stop littering.Built by Maharaja Hira Singh, the fort served as the seat of the erstwhile Nabha royal family and is closely associated with Maharaja Ripudaman Singh, the reformist ruler who championed the Anand Marriage Act and opposed British policies.A local who participated in the drive, Mohit, said the discovery of rare wall paintings and an underground cooling system during earlier restoration works underscored the site’s heritage value. “The fort requires formal protection and measures to prevent its further neglect and encroachment,” he said. Another volunteer, Gurjot Singh, said, “Maharaja Ripudaman Singh stood up to the British. The least we can do is stand up for his fort.“
