Pune: Amid Rainfall And Rockfalls, Forest Officer Seeks Temporary Closure Of Sinhagad Fort
Pune, 13th July 2022: In light of the predicted rainfall and concerns about rockfalls harming the 9 km approach route to the historical monument from the foothills, the Pune Forest Division has written to the district administration requesting a ban on visitors to Sinhagad fort till July 16.
Range Forest Officer Pradip Sankpal said, “On Tuesday, we wrote to the district collector’s office. For the protection of visitors, a temporary prohibition on fort visits is required.”
He said that the ghat segment leading to the fort had at least eight locations where rockfalls may occur.
Sankpal added, “We have enlisted more volunteers to control traffic in the ghat area, especially on weekends when there are thousands of tourists. Additionally, to ensure the safety of the commuters, we are placing additional caution signs at these locations.”
Another forest guard said, “For crowd control, 25 forest guards have been deployed. However, they are having trouble keeping the visitors under control. To take selfies, people stand in dangerous locations. They don’t have a concern for their safety.”
