Mumbai: During the Kanwar Yatra, elephants intruded the bhandaara near Mani Mai temple in Lachhiwala range, triggered by loud noise from a sound system. Angered, they overturned two trolleys, leading to a stampede among the Kanwariyas.
Fortunately, the elephants did not enter the pandal, averting a potential disaster. The forest department promptly evacuated the pandal and directed the Kanwariyas to avoid lingering in the forest area. The police also arrived, managing the traffic and ensuring vehicles could pass smoothly.
On Saturday night around 8:30, a male and female elephant with their baby approached the road from the forest behind the temple. The commotion from the Kanwar Yatra upset them, causing Trumpeting and aggression, as some Kanwariyas attempted to film the elephants, further aggravating the situation.
The elephants overturned the parked trolleys, resulting in panic among attendees. With the swift response led by inspector Puran Singh Rawat from the forest department, the pandal was evacuated safely, and later nighttime patrols dispersed the elephants back into the forest using noise from crackers.
Supervisors from the Lacchiwala toll plaza highlighted that if the elephants hadn't retreated in time, a serious incident could have ensued, given the large crowd at the pandal. The bhandaara was set up in an elephant corridor, making it crucial to minimize noise disturbance, especially at night, to prevent harassment of wildlife. Such incidents can escalate when wildlife is disturbed, as evidenced by the events that unfolded.
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