The Rajasthan High Court has directed the Center and the state government to file a reply to the petition for immediate closure of the commercial activity hotel and guest house running at Sonar Fort in Jaisalmer.

A division bench of Justice Vijay Vishnoi and Justice Praveen Bhatnagar heard an application in a PIL filed on behalf of petitioner Sunil Paliwal.

Advocate Manas Ranchod Khatri, appearing for the petitioner Sunil Paliwal, said that Jaisalmer's Sonar Fort has got the status of a World Heritage Site.

The Archaeological Survey of India presented a site management plan for Sonar Fort to the World Heritage Committee.
Several concerns have been raised in the plan, including the need to strengthen the existing management infrastructure, heavy damage to the fort walls due to water seepage, operation of illegal hotels and restaurants. There are other main issues affecting its image including power lines and the garbage.

During the hearing in the Rajasthan High Court, the petitioner's advocate Manas Ranchod Khatri told the court that due to leakage of water, cracks are coming into the stone structure. Not only this, erosion and illegal constructions are also being done by the people here. Due to other works, the existence of Sonar Fort is in danger. Along with this, the petitioner has claimed that if immediate action is not taken in this matter, then the old monument can be a huge loss.

Apart from this, traffic control inside the fort has been emphasized in the report. In the application, there has been a demand for an immediate ban on commercial activity including restaurants, tourist accommodations, guest houses and hotels running inside the fort.