Shaniwarwada continues to record lower footfall on weekends

PUNE Shaniwarwada, a popular tourist destination in the city, which reopened its doors on January 7 after the lockdown restrictions were eased, has reported a steep decline in footfall on weekends

PUNE Shaniwarwada, a popular tourist destination in the city, which reopened its doors on January 7 after the lockdown restrictions were eased, has reported a steep decline in footfall on weekends.

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A general footfall on weekends (pre-Covid times) used to be at least 5,000 or more per day. Now, the average footfall is around 2,000, according to officials.

In the last weekend (February 20 and 21) the footfall was 2,934 and 3,761, respectively, as per information provided by the Archaeological Survey of India, incharge at Shaniwarwada.

“After Saniwarwada reopened for public the footfall is poor, as compared to pre-Covid times,” said Ishwar Kawade, officer incharge of Shaniwarwada, from Archaeological Survey of India.

“As the new restrictions are being imposed it might further affect the footfall. The place is frequently visited by college crowd, now as colleges are closed the crowd will be less,” said Kawade.

“On Monday, 1,709 people visited Shaniwarwada till 5pm. The crowd is very moderate. People are also asking whether it will be closed again after the night curfew is imposed in the city,” added Kawade.

The Pune administration has still not released any order on the closure of Archaeological sites for the public.

“Usually more college students visit Saniwarwada. Today the number was less,” said Sanjay Kulkarni, who owns a shoe shop near Shaniwarwada.