Following the tragic incident where a woman and four children were swept away at a waterfall near Bhushi Dam in Lonavala, the Pune district administration has issued comprehensive guidelines to ensure the safety of tourists during the monsoon season.
Collector Suhas Divase has directed authorities to conduct thorough surveys to identify potential hazards in popular tourist areas within the Western Ghats, including Maval, Mulshi, Khed, Junnar, Bhor, Velha, and Ambegaon. Emphasizing the importance of safety assessments at picnic spots such as rivers, lakes, dams, waterfalls, forts, and forest areas, Divase instructed officials to install warning boards to mark prohibited zones and suggested closing areas prone to disasters where safety measures cannot be implemented. Officials have been specifically told to ensure safety at popular destinations like Bhushi, Pavana Dam, Lonavala, Sinhgad, Malshej, and Tamhini Ghat, which draw large crowds during the monsoon.
Multiple agencies, including revenue, forest, railways, municipal corporations, and the Public Works Department (PWD), have been urged to deploy divers, rescue boats, lifeguards, and life jackets at frequently visited water bodies. Divase also called for collaboration with NGOs, rescue foundations, trekkers, and locals to bolster safety efforts. Additionally, to further protect visitors, Divase announced that access to forest spots would be restricted after 6 pm.
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