A road built through the Pushkar fairground has triggered concerns over livestock movement, trader access, visitor safety and the ecology of the open desert landscape, prompting divisional commissioner Shakti Singh Rathore to direct the Ajmer district collector to review the project after the annual fair.
The gravel road, constructed by the Ajmer Development Authority in October, cuts through the 540-bigha fairground owned by the state tourism department. Locals and camel traders say it has divided the open space into two sections and introduced regular movement of cars, SUVs and buses through an area traditionally used for keeping and moving camels and horses during the fair.
The Pushkar Fair is formally scheduled to begin on November 17. At a meeting with fair stakeholders, local residents said traffic, vehicle noise and headlights were disturbing animals and changing the character of the grounds. Arun Parashar, who belongs to a priest family in Pushkar, said vehicular movement had increased substantially and was affecting both the desert environment and the movement of livestock.
Camel traders also raised concerns about managing animals and conducting business in the altered layout. Bansi Raika, who travelled from Jalore with 10 camels, said vehicles were moving at high speed throughout the day and that honking and headlights were preventing camels from resting properly. Koshal Singh, a trader from Sirohi, said reduced and more difficult access could restrict the movement of buyers and affect animal sales.
Rathore told the Times of India that the issue had come to his notice and that he had instructed the district collector to examine the decision to build the road through the fairground after the fair. He said officials must ensure that camel traders do not face inconvenience and that the sanctity of the Pushkar Fair is not affected.
The commissioner inspected the mela stadium and fairground with Ajmer district collector Lok Bandhu and other officials. During the inspection, he directed authorities to ensure adequate facilities for livestock owners and visitors, while also reviewing security and traffic arrangements ahead of the event.
The road has also raised questions about how the fairground’s land use is being coordinated between agencies. Naveen Parihar, additional director of the Animal Husbandry Department for the Ajmer range and Pushkar mela officer, said that if the land had been under his department’s control, it would not have allotted space for road construction. He said the department could instead have developed a camel village displaying camels and products made from them.
The district administration’s review after the fair is now the next official step. Until then, authorities are expected to address traffic, security, livestock facilities and visitor arrangements as the annual event approaches.