Kharghar cops launch poster campaign to stop tourists at Pandavkada

Rescuers near the Pandavkada waterfall in August 2019 for a rescue operation after the drowning of four youngsters. File pic

Despite constant warnings by the police against visiting the Pandavkada waterfall, hordes of tourists have been visiting the spot in Kharghar every weekend. To bring the dangers of visiting the place into focus, the Kharghar police have put up posters and are circulating the names of people who recently died on the spot on social media. A week ago, an SOS was raised as over 150 tourists were stranded near the waterfall.

Pandavkada waterfall is located at Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. The waterfall, about 107 m high, is a type of ‘plunge' waterfall where a massive amount of water falls down on the rocky surface below. The waterfall becomes a hotspot during the monsoon as trekkers and families rush for a day out.

To avoid crowding, Kharghar police, like every year, have enforced Section 144 at the spot. The order declared that entry to the waterfall will be closed from June 7 to September 30. Still, families and tourists have been spotted in the restricted area.

"Despite imposing Section 144, we are witnessing crowds at the roads leading to the waterfall and in the surrounding area. On July 25, we took action against 50 tourists spotted in a restricted area. They were charged with sections related to flouting pandemic rules and a penalty of R1,200 was imposed," said Shatrughna Mali, senior police inspector, Kharghar police. "To keep tourists and trekkers away from the spot, we have started an awareness campaign using a poster," he added.

Also read: Navi Mumbai: 116 people stranded on Kharghar hills rescued

The poster has a list of 16 people from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai who have died in the past two years. The poster reads, "Nobody from the list had come here to die, they died as they misjudged the waters, please take care of yourself, your life is more precious than a photo."

"People may find this an aggressive campaign but many don't understand the gravity of their act. During monsoon, the area becomes slippery, water suddenly rises and it becomes impossible to fathom the depth of the accumulated water near the waterfall. Every weekend, we have to set up nakabandi in the area to prevent people from entering the restricted area. Many request us to let them go near the waterfall, to take a picture or a video," Mali said.

An 18-year-old boy from Govandi was swept away in the water on June 24. Mausam Gharti had visited the waterfall with five others around 3.30 pm. Three from the group entered the water to swim and Gharti drowned. On July 19, 116 tourists got stranded as a nullah they had crossed to reach the waterfall suddenly filled up with water.

50
No. of tourists that faced action on July 25 for visiting the spot