Red Fort to be open on Mondays too, move sparks concerns over upkeep

NEW DELHI: In a significant move for tourists and residents, Red Fort will now remain open on all days of the week.An order, issued on Feb 13 by Archaeological Survey of India, stated that the protected monument of national importance "shall, henceforth, remain open on all days of the week for visitors and general public". It was signed by director general Yadubir Singh Rawat. Till now, the monument used to remain closed on Mondays. While the decision was welcomed by tour operators and visitors who often found their itineraries disrupted by the weekly closure, it also raised operational questions around staffing, upkeep and conservation.Senior officials said that duty rosters of security personnel, ticketing staff, horticulture teams and conservation workers would be restructured to ensure there was no compromise on maintenance standards. Instead of a fixed weekly shutdown for deep cleaning and repair work, the monument will now follow staggered maintenance schedules and rotational staff off-days.Conservation experts said the shift would require tighter supervision. "With no full closure day, preventive conservation and routine repairs will have to be planned zone-wise," an official said.Areas may be cordoned off in phases to allow restoration, stone cleaning and structural inspections without halting public access entirely.Red Fort, a Unesco World Heritage Site and the venue of the Prime Minister's Independence Day address, draws heavy footfall year-round. For visitors, the change means greater flexibility. For staff and conservation teams, it signals a shift to a more continuous, carefully managed operational model aimed at keeping one of India's most iconic monuments accessible without diluting preservation standards.