Kharghar, June 12: Pandavkada waterfalls at Kharghar, one of the most sought-after places for trekkers during the monsoon in Navi Mumbai will be inaccessible as the local police have enforced section 144, prohibiting people from a visit there. In the past, a few youths had drowned at the falls and died.
During the weekend, the waterfall witnesses huge footfalls, and keeping this in mind, as a security measure, the Kharghar police have banned entry at the waterfall for three months. Shatrughan Mali, senior police inspector from Kharghar police said that from June 7 to September 30, the entry at the waterfall has been stopped. He added that the decision has been taken as a safety measure as in the past a few untoward incidents took place and youths lost their lives.
Mali also warned of action if anyone is seen violating the order. There are a number of waterfalls in the Kharghar hill area. Some of them are at Pandavkada, Chafewadi, Fanaswadi, Driving Range, Ghamole village and Owe camp area. These falls become a hot spot for tourists during the monsoon as waterfalls are full of water. However, there were incidents when people got injured with heavy boulders and died.
Four girls including three college students were washed away by the strong current of a stream while they were trying to cross it near the waterfalls in August 2019. Several other similar accidents took place at the site earlier too.
Even the Forest department has banned the entry to the fall. A Range Forest officer (RFO) from Panvel said, “The area of Pandavkada waterfalls does not have proper infrastructures and hence people have to climb the hillocks and cross the streams to reach the main area. All the streams however remain swollen during monsoon and people meet with accidents while crossing them.”
