In order to expand their shops, the shopkeepers of the Walled City are slowly but surely demolishing the wall. At Nava Bazaar, to stretch the shops at the rear, a 12-feet to 16-feet stretch has been broken down.

There are many shops that have already expended their areas and even used a part of fort wall as their rear wall.

The residents alleged that shopkeepers, including some big names, had bribed their way for the illegal expansion. Everything, they alleged, was being carried out at the behest of local politicians and businessmen.

Director of State Archeology Y S Ravat said: “The fort is not protected by our organisation. It seems to be a private property of Gaekwad family or falls under the VMC.”

The surviving parts of this heritage structure — be it in Bajwada or Panigate - are crumbling as it is. But not even the Vadodara Municipal Corporation seems worried. And as the shopkeepers carry no their destructive spree, the locals too, remain mute spectators.

Heritage Trust’s Sandhya Gajjar said, “The fort is almost over 500 years old. It was built by the Mughals when Champaner was the state capital. It is very sad that nobody is there to save this heritage.”

The VMC, she said, should intervene and do something about those remaining parts.

Interestingly, the VMC had proposed an allocation for the upkeep of the four main gates of the Walled City, forgot the walls in the recently proposed budget.

VMC town planning officer Alpesh Majmudar appeared clueless about the shop expansions.

“No such permission was sought by shopkeepers to destroy the wall. We will take action,” he said.