In view of the red alert issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for Satara, the district administration has ordered that waterfalls and tourist places be temporarily closed to prevent any untoward incidents and loss of life and property. The IMD predicted that Satara will witness extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas in the ghats and moderate rain in the plains on Friday.
According to the order issued late on Thursday, the administration has shut down the Sadawaghapur waterfall, Thoseghar waterfall, Bhambavli Vajrai waterfall, and Kaas lake, which are popular with tourists, especially during the monsoon season. "It is necessary to temporarily close the above waterfalls and tourist places to avoid any untoward incident and loss of life and property," said Jitendra Dudi, Collector of Satara and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority. This order will be in effect until July 28.
The police department has been asked to close the roads leading to the waterfalls and tourist spots in the Satara district. The police and the forest department have been ordered to ensure that tourists do not visit the waterfalls and that no untoward incidents occur. "Police should be stationed at tourist places as needed, and patrolling should be conducted in necessary areas. The help of the home guards should be utilised for police arrangements as needed. Strict action should be taken against violators of the rules," stated the order.
