Pune District to Introduce Slot-Booking for Tourists at 25 Popular Spots After Diwali
Pune, 14th October 2025: The Pune district administration will launch a slot-booking system for 25 major tourist destinations after Diwali to curb overcrowding, prevent safety hazards, and reduce environmental impact. Visitors will need to pre-book time slots through a dedicated mobile app, while a website is also being developed for the facility.
Senior officials said the system is designed to regulate footfall, protect fragile ecosystems, and improve crowd management during peak weekends and holiday periods. “We have identified 23 to 25 high-footfall locations that attract huge crowds, particularly during the monsoon and festive seasons. Slot-booking will allow us to manage tourist inflow, ease pressure on natural resources, and ensure visitor safety,” an official explained.
A Rs 50 crore budget, approved by the district planning committee, will support the digital rollout along with related infrastructure such as signage, access control measures, and monitoring systems. The initiative comes in response to a sharp rise in visitors to scenic spots in Mulshi, Maval, Bhor, Rajgad, Khed, Junnar, and Ambegaon, including waterfalls, forest trails, and hill treks, many of which regularly exceed their carrying capacity.
“While a chatbot feature will soon be integrated into the collector’s website, a dedicated app and portal for slot-booking are being developed under a CSR initiative,” said an official.
Recent incidents have highlighted the need for such measures. On June 29, over 6,000 tourists visited the Andharban forest trail in a single day, forcing authorities to suspend entry. On June 15, the Kund Mala bridge in Khed collapsed under an overcrowded crowd, resulting in four fatalities.
The app and website are expected to go live post-Diwali. “We are not limiting tourism, but making it sustainable and safer for everyone,” an official added.
