Waterfalls near Mumbai ‘shut’ to prevent drowning deaths

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, June 30

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Weekend revellers looking forward to their annual ritual of frolicking in the waterfalls that spring up on the Western Ghats a heavy downpour were left disappointed as the police turned away people at many places in order to avoid accidents.

State police officials said security was tightened around the Chinchoti waterfall at the Tungareshwar hills at Palghar outside Mumbai. Last year, more than a 120 men and women who had ventured out for a trek to the waterfall during the monsoons had to be rescued by the Indian Air Force after water levels suddenly rose. One person was swept away by the surging currents.

Similarly, entry of visitors to the Pandavkhada waterfalls near Navi Mumbai has been completely stopped after three youths were washed away last year. Bhushi Dam near Pune, which also draws hundreds of picnickers during rainy weekends saw a strong police presence, to deter those trying to venture into the dam’s overflow area.

”We are carrying out checks to ensure that people do not venture near the waterfalls with alcohol,” a Pune official said.
According to officials at the traffic police department, there were major traffic jams outside many points around the waterfalls as the authorities closed roads to prevent picnickers from congregating in
the area.

Police said several youths who tried to sneak through the cordons to get to the waterfalls were detained for a few hours in the weekend before being let go.

However police presence was marginal at smaller waterfalls where the current is not as swift. Picnickers are now crowding to such areas in places like the Sanjay Gandhi National Park at Borivili after the buzz about these places being ‘open’ spread on social media.