CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR, 6 AUG

Water seepage in Cave 32 at the world-famous Ellora cave complex in the district has put the ninth-century frescoes inside in danger, an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) official said on Wednesday.

The seepage started naturally, and a similar problem had been observed last year, too, he said.

The Ellora cave complex, 30 kilometres away from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It consists of a group of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist caves.

A tourist guide who recently visited the Jain cave no 32 said some work was carried out when a similar problem was noticed last year. "But more work is needed to stop the seepage as it can damage the paintings," he said.

A local ASI official said, "The seepage has developed naturally. We have written to the conservation section earlier to address this issue. A review will be conducted."

Another official told PTI that an inspection was conducted earlier to find the source of the seepage, but it was difficult to pinpoint because the area is large.

Swapnil Joshi, co-convenor of the heritage organisation INTACH, said, "Ellora is different from Ajanta caves. In Ellora, there are very few caves with such paintings....We have written to the ASI earlier. If water is still coming down, it has to be dealt with at the earliest."